The Toad And The Nymph
by Blue Skies Rusty
Summary: There is a new girl working with X-men. She's fighting against the brotherhood and all they stand for. So why can't Toad bring himself to hurt her? Why doesn't she fight him? FINISHED!
1. Showing What She's Got

A/N: This is my first fan fic so if you review please don't be too harsh. And if it sucks then I'm sorry. I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters except Damia so... yeah!

The sleek, black jet landed in the deep snow, the road was just a few feet away. The cold air nipped at Damia's pale skin as she stepped off the ramp and found herself up to her ankles in snow.

"Come on.," said the man who stood in front of her. "This is your chance to show us what you got, kid." He didn't even bother to look at her before he hurried off, though she probably wouldn't have been able to tell with his red visor blocking his eyes.

Damia sighed as the two women she was with went after him to help the people in the car. There was a cat-like man standing near the wreckage which was pinned to ground by a tree trunk. Scott, or Cyclops as he was nicknamed, shot him with laser vision. The cat-man got hit square in the chest and was knocked off his feet, falling to the ground an impressive way off from where he originally stood. It was at that moment that Damia realized the car was on fire.

"Great," muttered the young girl as she ran to the flaming wreckage. The man who had been driving lay in the snow some feet away and she assumed he hadn't been wearing his seatbelt. There was another person in the vehicle and Damia could tell she was unconscious.

After opening the passenger side door Damia saw a girl of about her own age with reddish hair. Her seatbelt was jammed and the fire was getting larger and coming closer. Damia tried with all her might to unbuckle her but to no avail.

"Cyclops," Damia yelled to the man who was watching as the two women carried the driver of the car onto the jet. "I could use some help over here." The young man hurried over and assessed the situation. "Fire's really not my strong point so please hurry." Damia said quietly as she concentrated on the flames which seemed to shrink a little under her gaze. She could feel herself tire considerably as she tried to control the wild element. Damia was pushing the flames back with her mind, keeping them at bay while Cyclops fought with the seatbelt. Looking down, Damia realized she was surrounded by snow and she couldn't help but smile a little.

Damia turned back to the man who was still trying to unbuckle the girl in the truck. "Melt the snow," She called to him and he glanced at her as if she were insane.

The flames were growing ever higher and were getting close to the gas tank. Cyclops doubtfully turned to the snow which covered the ground. With one touch to his visor the red beams emitted from his eyes and melted the snow instantly. Damia concentrated on the large puddle of water with what was left of her energy.

The water seemed to cling to itself in a large sphere as it slowly lifted off the ground. It moved over the flaming truck and the large bubble burst, dousing the flames. At that moment Cyclops turned a knob on the side of his visor and a small beam shot from it, cutting the seatbelt. The three of them made their way back to the jet, Damia swelling with pride. But the feeling of delight faltered and was replaced by something else. Damia turned and scanned the woods surrounding the lonely country road but she saw nothing. There was no one there to watch her. She shrugged off the feeling and entered the warm jet, settling down for the trip back to the mansion.


	2. The Kid

The large oak door in front of her was closed but Damia could still hear two voices inside. She had no idea what they were saying but she could tell that they were both men. One of them was obviously Professor Charles Xavier, considering it was his office. The other voice sounded gruffer and she didn't recognize it so she assumed it belonged to the man she had helped to rescue the previous day.

Damia raised her hand to knock but before her fist made contact with the door she heard the Professor call to her. "Come in," his calm, relaxing voice said from the other side of the door.

The door creaked ever so slightly as she slowly pushed it open and slipped into the office. Professor Xavier sat in his wheel chair behind his desk and in the chair across from him was just who Damia had expected it to be. He was tall and muscular, a fighter. His dark hair formed a scruffy beard on his face and his dark eyes were hard and cold.

"Ah, Damia." Professor Xavier's voice filled the room with its usual cheeriness. "I'd like you to meet one of the people you helped to rescue yesterday. This is Logan." Damia looked back to the man sitting across the from the Professor and gave him a slight smile. Logan just looked at her and turned back to the Professor.

"You're telling me a _kid_ was there too?" His dark eyes glinted as he stared at the Professor. Damia could only roll her eyes at being called a "kid" again.

"Damia, here is one of our most talented students," said Professor X, his voice full of pride. "She has an influence over the four elements and... other things." He winked at Damia who smiled at him. "She'll show you around and make sure you're comfortable."

_Gee, thanks Prof. Stick me with the grouch. _Damia thought, momentarily forgetting that Professor X could read minds. She heard his laughter in his head as she lead Logan out of the room. They walked down a hall in silence, Damia leading the way. Finally she looked at him over her shoulder and shook her head. _If only I could hold up a one-on-one conversation. _

_"I suppose you want to see your friend?" She asked as she led him towards the recreation room. Looking over her shoulder she saw him nod and they continued their silent walk._

Upon entering the rec. room Damia heard the gleeful shout of a girl. Looking up she saw the girl run over to Logan. Politely, Damia left the two to their reunion and joined her fellow teenage mutants.

"Hey," said Bobby as he flopped onto the couch in front of the TV. He was quite attractive with his sandy hair and brilliant blue eyes. "I take it you're on tour duty?"

Damia nodded. "Yeah, I've been here a whole week and I'm on tour duty. Babysitting Oscar the Grouch over there," she jerked her thumb in the direction of Logan, "is what I've always wanted to do."

Bobby laughed and looked over Damia's shoulder. "Yeah, well Rogue is pretty hot." It was Damia's turn to laugh.

"Rogue? She's been here two days and you've given her a nickname while I've been here a week and all I get is 'kid.'" Damia teased him. "You must really like her." Bobby flushed and looked away while another boy laughed as he approached. Damia looked up to see Pyro approaching and she closed her eyes, wishing to anywhere but in that room.

"I got a nickname for you," Pyro said as he sat down on the arm of the couch. "It's a great one, too"

Damia rolled her eyes before asking, "And what would it be?"

Pyro stood up, smiling at her. "My girlfriend." And there it was. The bad pick up line, one of the many he had been trying to use on her for the past week.

The laughter she tried to supress almost spilled out as she turned her back to the two boys. "I'll catch you guys later." She called over her shoulder as she joined Logan again and led him off.

The metal door flew open and he entered the room, the graying sitting at the desk looked up and smiled.

"Did you get what I asked for, Sabretooth," asked the man who sat at the desk as the larger man stepped forward.

Sabretooth laid a dog-tag on the desk with the name "Wolverine" on it. The gray haired man picked it up and examined it. The he looked back to the shaggy man in front of him, noticing he looked a little uneasy.

"They have a new one, Magneto." Sabretooth's voice was as horrid as his face. It was a low growl and one had to strain to understand it. "A girl who controls the elements."

The man known as Magneto eyed his henchman while he pondered this news. Looking into the black eyes of the cat-man he thought of this new member. "Does she have potential?" When Sabretooth confirmed it Magneto nodded somberly. A new mutant with potential could help if he could convince her to join his ranks. At the same time she would be aiding the X-men in their fight against the Brotherhood.

"Toad!" Shouted Magneto as he reached his decision. A young man with a greenish hue to his skin walked into the room a minute later. Magneto looked him over, he had a green-brown hair and large eyes that were almost black. "Toad, I need you to go to the X-mansion and... take care of something for me."


	3. Of Soap Operas and Plates

A/N: A special thanks to LVM the Ice Queen for my first review. Thank you, you're so kind.

The sun poured itself onto Damia's face as she walked out into the back of the mansion. The sky was bright and clear, birds sang in the distant woods, and all around her the plants and trees were a beautiful, lush green. Logan was still behind her and she was still giving him the tour.

"This, obviously, is the backyard," she said as she gestured to the enormous back yard. "There's a swimming pool, tennis and basketball courts, a garden. You name it and we've probably got it." She led him across the yard while the many kids that lived at the mansion went about their business. As Damia walked she took in her surroundings all the way from the gentle breeze to the warming sun.

"Here is where we do minor training on nice days." She and Logan stopped at a small field which was away from where the habitants of the mansion played their games. Scott was standing in the middle of the field while a red head let clay plates fly into the air. A red beam shot from his visor and the plate shattered. "You've met Jean and Scott, right?" Damia looked over to Logan as he nodded, she notice his eyes didn't leave the young woman who was using her telekinetic powers to make the plates fly.

Jean looked over at them and waved while Scott seemed to tense. Logan and Damia approached and Jean smiled. "Hey, Damia. Logan," she said cheerfully.

Logan nodded curtly and Damia couldn't help but notice how stiff Scott had gotten. She smiled at Jean while she thought _Oh, goody! A soap opera. Where's my popcorn?_ Scott nodded tersely at Logan and Damia as a greeting.

Jean turned her smile to Damia. "Why don't you give a little demo of your powers?" Damia nearly choked.

"W-what!?" She looked at the slightly older woman. "Why?"

Jean laughed and said, "You need the practice anyway." Jean put her hand on Damia's shoulder and gently pushed her onto the field. "I'm going to hurl these at you," Jean got back behind the table. "And I want you to use your abilities to defend yourself."

As she looked around, Damia sighed. Looking back at Jean she saw the first clay plate hurtling straight for her head. Damia focused on the ground a few feet in front of her. There was a loud rumbling and the Earth shook slightly as a large chunk of land shot up in front of her. There was a satisfying sound of shattering clay and Damia let the ground fall back into place.

The moment the barrier had fallen another clay plate was flying towards Damia. She watched it closely and the gentle breeze began to pick up. Soon her golden brown locks were being tossed in the strong wind as the clay plate was blown off course. What became of that particular plate was unknown to the small group because it was blown into the woods surrounding the yard.

"Okay, good job," Jean called to Damia over the calming winds. "Now try fire and water." Damia's green-brown eyes widened upon hearing this.

"Are you insane? I need raw materials and there isn't any water or fire around here," Damia yelled back to Jean as she looked around the field. Indeed there was no water or a raging fire to be seen.

Jean shrugged and the two girls joined Logan and Scott who had been watching from the sidelines. Scott gave Damia a curt nod before he and Jean walked off towards the mansion. _Oooh! The seal of approval. _Logan and Damia started to follow when for possibly the first time all day, Logan spoke first.

"So, you control the elements?" He didn't look at her, his eyes were glued to the woman who walked in front of them.

"Yeah, I'm best with Earth, water and wind. Fire is too unpredictable to control completely. But you knew I could control the elements, Professor X told you this morning," Damia pointed out as she watched the green grass slide by under her feet. Logan merely grunted in response and picked up his pace, leaving Damia behind.

Suddenly Damia stopped dead in her tracks. There it was again, the feeling of being watched. She could sense a pair of eyes on her but she had no idea where they were. She glanced around, there were plenty of people playing sports in the large yard. No, it couldn't be one of them. These eyes were staring at her intently, too intently for someone playing a sport. She turned and looked to the distant woods but there was nothing there. Damia turned and headed back to the mansion, shaking off the feeling. _Its probably just Pyro... creep._

Little did she know that she was indeed being watched but not from anyone who attended Xavier's School for the Gifted.


	4. Meeting the Stalker

Her sock covered feet padded down the hallway while the hem of her white cotton night gown skimmed the floor. It was almost time for lights out and the other students were all getting ready for bed while trying to socialize. Damia passed an open door but stopped when she heard her name.

"Hey Damia," came the familiar southern accent of Rogue. Her red head poked out of the door and she smiled at Damia.

"Hi, Rogue." Damia stepped a little closer and could see that Rogue's room was decorated just like all the other girls' rooms. "What's up?"

Rogue smiled sheepishly as she spoke. "I just wanted to thank you again for saving me." This had to be the tenth time today she thanked Damia.

With a dismissive wave of her hand and a smile Damia said, "Ah, it was nothing. You owe me one though." Her fellow teen mutant laughed at the joke.

"I actually thought of a way to repay you." As she spoke she disappeared into the room only to return with a thick leather bound book. "I found a nickname for you."

She handed the book to Damia who read the gold letters printed on the cover. _Faerie Tales and Myths For All Ages._ Slightly confused, Damia turned to the marked page. She was surprised to see a beautiful girl the size of a faerie sitting on a mushroom and smiling up to the larger green world that surrounded her. Damia noticed a caption under the picture and she read it.

_Nymphs are usually depicted as beautiful young girls. They live in the wilderness and tend to use their influence over the four elements to protect the woods, springs, lakes, and rivers that they love so much._

Damia's hazel eyes turned to Rogue with confusion. Her fellow teen mutant was smiling at her.

"I was flipping through that book and when I read the caption I thought of you," Rogue said as she watched Damia study the picture closely. "So, what do you think of being called Nymph?"

Damia smiled and looked back to Rogue. "It's a hell of a lot better than 'kid.'" The two girls laughed. Damia couldn't help but take an instant liking to her new name.

It was too hot and the full moon was bathing her room in light. The moon... such a beautiful thing. With a sigh Damia tossed the blankets off and climbed out of bed. She looked out her window and took in the sight of the dark grounds rolling away from to the stretch of woods. The woods she had not yet explored.

Without bothering to put on a sweater or shoes, Damia slipped out of the mansion and into the backyard. The dewy grass dampened her socks and the hem of her night gown as her feet silently carried her to the fence. A cloud slid over the moon, hiding her as she scaled the brick wall with ease and landed with a soft thud.

The trees were all extremely tall and dense. As she peered into the abyss she found it hard to see anything. Bravely she stepped in and was swallowed by the darkness.

After a few minutes of walking, Damia decided that no one from the mansion would be able to see her. She pulled off her socks and rolled them up before she wiggled her bare toes in the cool grass. She smiled at the feeling, something she longed to experience for months.

It was nearly midnight and all the lights in the mansion had long since went out. Toad was about to return to the island base for the night. He had been sitting in the woods all day, watching his latest target. The sun had dried out his skin even if he had been sitting in the shade for most of the day. As he turned to leave, something caught his eye. He looked to the mansion again and saw a figure slip out.

The moon bathed the figure with light and he could tell that it was a female. The same female he had been sent here to watch. She moved across the yard and as she reached the brick wall the moon disappeared behind a cloud. Now he could only make out her dark silhouette as she scaled the wall and landed on the other side. He watched as she stepped into the woods. From a distance Toad silently followed the girl. He hopped from tree to tree with skill, she had no idea he was there.

He was about to jump again when he notice the shadow he was following had stopped walking. It looked as though she were taking her socks off and indeed she was. After a few seconds of just standing there, her bare feet in the damp grass, she continued her walk. Toad watched her move gracefully through the woods and he noticed something about her movements had changed since she stopped.

He leaned closer on the branch and watched her more closely, seeing that the difference was in her feet. He leaned closer still, cursing himself for being nearsighted and not having his goggles with him. It looked as though something was springing up in the ground around her feet and then it sunk back again.

Toad was still trying to figure it out when the moon reappeared from its shelter. It illuminated the woods and Toad could see the girl more clearly. He focused on her feet and couldn't believe his eyes. He blinked a few times before he looked again. Sure enough he wasn't dreaming. Every time the girl's feet touched the ground, plant life would spring up and bloom before it wilted and died. It was as if they were going through the four seasons in fast forward.

The branch he was perched on groaned slightly but Toad didn't notice. He was so intent on watching the girl that he didn't hear the branch's protests as he moved further out on the limb. He didn't notice until a loud cracking sound filled his ears and he felt the air rushing through his hair. Toad hit the ground with a loud thud and he muttered under his breath, cursing himself and the tree.

Damia froze suddenly. She definitely heard something behind her in the woods. She turned to the direction of the sound. All through her walk she had been ignoring the feeling of someone watching her. Now she ignored the feeling of foreboding as she crept to where she had heard the noise. _Why in the hell did I come out here? I should have known better!_ She cautiously stepped around a tree and found the source of the noise.

Before her lay a green man, pinned under a tree branch. He hadn't noticed her yet, he was too busy trying to pry is foot out from under the broken bough. A colorful variety of cuss words were being uttered as he fought with the offending branch.

Damia stepped forward and knelt down beside him. He noticed her for the first time and tried to jump away but only fell backwards, landing on his backside. Damia didn't bother trying to talk to him, she wasted no time getting the branch off of him. It was too heavy for her to move on her own so she instead focused on the ground. With the right maneuvering she could get the branch off using her powers.

There was a slight rumbling and the ground shook a little. A chunk of the Earth rose under the tree branch, freeing the man's foot. Damia turned to him but the moon had slipped behind the clouds again and she couldn't make out his face. He sat there frozen, staring at her in disbelief.

Silently and gently she picked up the foot that had been trapped and began to take his boot off. Toad tried to jerk away but her grip, though delicate, was surprisingly strong.

"Hold still," Damia whispered as she carefully pulled the boot off. Toad was amazed at himself for complying. He stiffened as her warm hand slid over his clammy skin, she was making sure he hadn't broken any bones. "Can you move it?" Her voice was calm and quiet as she studied the stranger's foot. _What in the hell am I doing!? He's trespassing, I should tell the Professor...but..._

Toad moved his ankle, relieved that it wasn't broken. Maybe now the girl would get her hands off of him. Her warm, gentle hands which were actually touching him. No one ever touched him without flinching. It was kind of... enjoyable. _Bloody hell, Toad! Stop thinking._

"It's obviously not broken," she said as she placed his foot in her lap. "Do you have a lighter?" She looked at the silhouette of his face, Damia couldn't make out his features.

Reluctantly, Toad reached into his pocket and pulled out his lighter. _What in the hell is she planning on doing? _he asked himself. He handed it to her silently, hoping she'd let go soon so he could escape. Then he realized she wasn't holding his foot anymore, it was resting in her lap. He could easily kick her and make a get away. So why wasn't he?

A small flame appeared from the lighter. It was very weak and Damia couldn't see any better than she could without it. With a sigh she set it on the ground and thought about it being a bit bigger. Toad jumped as the flame suddenly grew, illuminating the girl in front of him.

He took in her long golden brown curls, her pale skin. He found himself admiring the way her cotton nightgown gave a hint to her hourglass figure. She was quite pretty. _NO! Bad, Toad. Don't think about it..._

His thoughts were interrupted by her voice. "I don't think it's sprained. Can you walk?" At that moment she looked at his face for the first time and she gasped, causing Toad to flinch.

There it was. He was wondering when she'd realized that he was an ugly green man. He jerked his foot away from her and glared at the nearest tree. Somewhere in the back of his mind he had been hoping that maybe she wouldn't mind the clammy green skin. He inwardly cursed himself for that.

Damia stared at the man in front of her. His skin had a green hue to it and his hair was green-brown. She could see his very dark, almost black eyes. But his skin and hair weren't what she was looking at.

"Your face," she said quietly. As she continued to stare at him.

Toad angrily turned his eyes on her. "What's wrong with my face," he asked with his thick British accent. "Never seen a green man before?"

For a minute Damia was taken aback but she recovered quickly. "No, I haven't," she said matter-of-factly. "But that's not what I was looking at. You happen to have a cut on your cheek."

A cut on his cheek? Toad suddenly became aware of a slight twinge of pain. He didn't have time to wonder at it though. Damia's hands were touching him again. If he was surprised by her hands on his ankle, it was nothing compared to the shock of having them on his face. He pulled away so suddenly that he nearly fell over.

"You really don't like to be touched, do you," Damia asked as she took his face in her hands again.

Toad blinked at her then averted his eyes. The only female who had ever been this close to him was Mystique when they were sparring. "Not used it," he mumbled inaudibly before he realized what he'd said. Again he swore inwardly.

"Hmm..." Damia ignored his last comment as she tried to examine his wound in the dimming light. "Stupid lighter," she said as she turned to glare at the shrinking flame. Under her gaze the fire from the lighter grew again and she turned back to Toad.

To his great surprise she tore a piece of her night gown off. She dropped into her lap so she could touch the tip of her index finger to the ground. Toad watched as the dew from the grass was drawn to her finger tip where it collected. Soon there was a small bubble of water on the tip of her finger. Damia moved her finger away and the orb hovered in midair between her and Toad.

"I can clean it up but there's no way for me to stop the bleeding." Her voice brought Toad's attention from the water bubble back to her. She was dipping the strip of her nightgown into the bubble, soaking it.

A bead of sweat appeared on her forehead as she tried to keep the fire from dying down while keeping the water bubble together and floating. It was bad enough trying to keep her weak spot in check but while concentrating on another element and an injured man, it was tiring. With great care she managed to wash away the blood and dirt while the flame from the lighter slowly got smaller.

"Why are you doing this," Toads thick accent filled the air and she was taken by surprise. For a moment she lost her concentration. The bubble began to fall apart as it headed for the ground and the flame almost flickered out.

Damia managed to catch the ball just before it hit the ground and she slowly made it float up to its proper place. When she was satisfied with the water bubble she turned to the lighter, cranking the flame again. When she looked back to her patient she found his dark eyes watching her intently and she remembered he had asked her a question.

"Well," Damia began as she started to clean his cut again. She grinned mischievously. "I like to keep my stalkers at full health." She almost lost her concentration again when she saw Toad's reaction.

His jaw dropped and his already large eyes widened. "What... How," he managed to get the words out but they didn't make a coherent sentence. How could she possible know he was stalking her? Was she laughing at him?

Damia laughed again at the glare he gave her. "I kind of figured someone was following me. I mean, all day I've felt like I was being watched. I figured it was just that numbskull, Pyro being his usual creepy self. Guess I was wrong." Damia smiled at him as she finally finished cleaning up his face. "All done."

By now Toad's head was spinning. She had known he was following her. She had caught him in the act. She had helped him get his foot out from under the accursed tree branch and then cleaned his cut. She had even touched him without being repulsed. Now she was looking at him with those dancing hazel eyes.

"What's your name?" Damia asked as she looked away from his pensive black eyes. She had no idea why she was asking. In fact, she had no idea why she hadn't raised the alarm when she found him.

She let the Earth slide back into place, which she forgot to do before. It was easy to keep the ground in place so it was no wonder she hadn't realized she was doing it. Damia turned to the water ball and let it fall to the ground, bursting as it did. As she turned her attention to the lighter she was aware of his eyes on her again.

She handed him his lighter and as she did his voice filled her ears. "Toad," he said simply.

Damia nodded as he took his lighter, their fingers touched and for some reason she felt herself blushing. Secretly Toad was thanking his lucky stars for the lack of light, she couldn't see him flush when their fingers met. He cursed himself as he stood to escape her.

"I'm Damia," she began but then another name came to mind. "But they call me Nymph." With that she stood up as well.

For awhile the two of them just stood there in silence. There was a sudden gust of wind as the clouds in sky finally opened up, pouring their contents on the two young people. Damia looked up and smiled as the rain soaked her thoroughly, it had been too long since she was caught in a rain storm.

Her smile turned to Toad who she could tell was not liking the rain. He looked up as the tree tops crowded together, blocking out the rain. Looking back at the girl in front of him he couldn't help but be amazed by her.

They stood there and watched each other for a long while. Damia finally turned and started to walk away calling over her shoulder, "Goodbye Toad. Oh, watch out for the trip wires at the edge of the woods, they'll raise the alarm."

She disappeared from his sight and as she went the trees parted, letting the rain fall on him again. For a few minutes Toad stood there in a stupor. This girl, this Nymph was... strange. She didn't alert anyone of his presence like she should have. Instead she had taken care of him, helped him. _She even touched me._

Shaking his head Toad turned to leave. "What a bloody night," he grumbled as he glanced over his shoulder and somewhat reluctantly walked away.


	5. More Mental Scolding

A/N: Thanks again to those who have reviewed (the few, the proud, and insane for reading this far into the story) you know who you are. FYI, soon more will join the ranks of Toad loving fan fic writers and we'll eventually take over the world. Crap, I gave away the surprise.... Oh look the chapter's starting. fade in Ha! Fooled you!

It had been a week. A whole solid week since her encounter with green man named Toad and she had hardly slept since then. Every time Damia closed her eyes his face swam before her, forcing her to try to push him out of her memory. She found it very difficult to forget his green skin and hair, his dark eyes, his thick accent. Damia couldn't forgot the feeling of his eyes as he watched her or the feeling of his sallow skin under her hands.

Every time she managed to push these thoughts out of her mind long enough to fall asleep they always returned to her in her dreams. When she awoke she would forget the details, only remembering that he was in them. She would then shake herself and try to go on with her daily routine, luckily no one noticed her odd behavior and if the Professor had delved into her mind and saw the encounter, he didn't show it.

The flashing red figures on her alarm clock told her it nearly one o'clock in morning. With a sigh Damia rolled over onto her back while she reflected on the past week. Every time she stepped outside she had the feeling of being watched though she couldn't tell if she was just being paranoid or not. Then her memory flashbacked to his dark eyes as they watched her that night. Those wonderful eyes. _Ugh! Stop it, Damia! He's a criminal, he's with the Brotherhood._

Professor Xavier's words came to mind as she reminded herself of Toad's criminal record. He had told her and a few others at dinner how Toad, Sabretooth, Mystique and Magneto were their enemies. He told them of their escapades, of all the innocent humans who had gotten hurt because of them. She hated them for that. And yet she couldn't help but be quite taken with the green man she had met.

With a grunt Damia rolled onto her side and began counting sheep. Her eyelids grew heavier as the past week's lack of sleep caught up with her. Just as the last wisps of consciousness were slipping away from her, Damia's eyes shot open. A scream had disturbed her as it filled the entire mansion.

Throwing back the covers she left the comfort of her bed and raced down the hall. She found herself meeting with Scott, Jean, and Ororo, they were outside of Logan's door. They exchanged looks before they threw the door open. Damia couldn't help but gasp at the sight.

Before her Rogue lay in Logan's arms, holes in her torso where his metallic claws had penetrated. Rogue's bare hand touched Logan's horrified face and he cried out in pain. Rogue was absorbing some of his powers causing her wounds to heal.

Before Damia fully registered what was going on, Rogue had pushed past her and the crowd that had gathered outside the door. Jean, Ororo, and Scott were bringing the now injured Logan to the infirmary. Damia's hazel eyes blinked a few times and her sleep induced confusion cleared.

"Alright," she said loudly as she turned to the crowd of students. "Nothing to see here." Only a few of the kids parted at Damia's attempt to break up the crowd. "Get back to bed or so help I'll make sure all join Logan in the infirmary." She shouted a little louder. At her threat the students all shuffled away while they murmured to one another.

With a sigh Damia followed them and fell face first on her bed, knowing that in the morning she'd have to talk to Rogue. _Poor girl. She probably blames herself._ With that last thought Damia passed out and slept like a log for the remainder of the night.

The bright glorious sun filtered through the windowed door which led to her balcony. Damia grunted and threw her blankets off. Her hair was a mess and her eyes were bleary. She rubbed them vigorously as she attempted to read the alarm clock. _11:15 in morning. I usually wake up at five. Oh well, more sleep for me. _

After a quick shower Damia stood fully dressed in baggy jeans and t-shirt. She rummaged through the fridge for food. When she stood up again she was faced with a distraught Bobby. He looked extremely worried and was even frowning. Bobby never frowned.

"Hey Iceman. What's wrong?" Damia dumped her load on the table before she turned to her friend. Bobby was the first person in the Institute to befriend her and she wouldn't forget that anytime soon.

"Nymph, have you seen Rogue? I've been looking all over for her and I can't find her." Damia clearly heard the trouble that filled his voice.

At that moment she flashbacked to the previous night's events. With a sigh she looked at her panic-stricken friend. "Go take another look around. I'm going to talk to the Prof about it," Damia said calmly to Bobby. "Don't worry Iceman. If anyone can find her its Charles Xavier." She patted him on the back before leaving him in the kitchen with all her glorious food.

Damia waited in the hallway. She leaned against the door to Cerebro while the Professor was inside trying to find Rogue. A matter of minutes had passed when the doors slid open and Damia nearly fell to the floor. The Professor wheeled out and looked at her with a grim smile.

"She's trying to run," was all he said to her before he headed to his office.

Before long she was with Scott, and Ororo as they tried to catch up to Logan. As soon as the news reached his ears he was off like a rocket trying to find Rogue. He had even taken Scott's bike which thoroughly pissed off the mutant.

The bike was parked near the entrance to the train station as Damia noticed when she entered the door. Scott and Ororo each headed for a ticket booth to inquire about a young redhead while Damia searched the crowds.

As she tried to look over the heads of the people when she had the sudden familiar feeling of being watched. Damia looked around but she didn't find anyone with green skin. As she returned to her search she heard screams. People began to rush about the train station and Damia was being jostled about.

She saw the white hair of Ororo and tried to make her way over to her but to no avail. As she turned to find the source of the chaos she saw a large hole in roof of the station and Scott with his eyes clamped shut. _Well that answers that question. But why... _

A sudden gust of air interrupted Damia's thoughts. She turned and saw the cat-man hit the ground. Ororo's eyes were white and Damia could tell she was trying to fight off the beast. Damia concentrated on the floor of the station which began to rumble. It stopped suddenly though.

Damia looked at a shocked Ororo as she narrowly avoided green slime. The Sabretooth took that opportunity to attack, so Ororo was distracted from the mutant who attempted to slime her. Damia however looked up to see a familiar figure sticking to the ceiling. _Damnit, Damia! _she yelled to herself inwardly when she felt the tug on her heart.

Toad was looking down at her, he hadn't noticed her there until now. There was odd sensation in the pit of his stomach and cursed himself. Why did she have to look at him like that? Why did he care how she looked at him?

"Damia, don't just stand there. Do something," Ororo yelled as she continued her battle with the beast.

Looking back up at the criminal she thought of the best way to attack him but she just couldn't do it. _Come on Damia! He's a criminal, a terrorist. Do something! _As she looked up at him, their eyes met for a moment before he landed on the ground in front of her. Then she noticed that he had not attacked yet either.

"What's the matter, love," he asked with that thick accent of his. "Don't want to hurt a beautiful mug like mine?" His voice was sarcastic and cold, it stabbed at Damia to hear him speak that way.

_Ignore that feeling and concentrate on what a bad person he is. _She smiled impishly to mask what she was thinking from both herself and from the man infront of her. "I'm surprised to can stick to the ceiling with an ego like that weighing you down.

Toad managed to hide the fact that he was surprised by her words. Not to mention slightly hurt. _I'm bloody mad. No, its this git infront of me. Where does she get off making me feel this way with those eyes and... NO! I'm doing it again. Just stop thinking all together.  _

They stared at each other and Damia knew she had to do something but at the same time she couldn't bare the thought oh hurting him. Suppressing a sigh Damia concentrated on the air. A soft breeze ruffled her hair but it soon the wind was howling in her ears. Toad crouched down on the floor, sticking to it for support. The winds grew a little and began to swirl around him in a very small, and exceedingly gently tornado. Damia kept it at a low level, just strong enough to keep him rooted to the spot without harming him. Toad glared at her with his dark eyes.

Suddenly something was wrapped around her throat. It was a large and rather hairy hand and Damia could feel the claws attached to it. The strong grip tightened slightly and she knew that the owner of the hand meant business. She let the howling winds surounding Toad fall. The warm breath on the back of her neck gave her the heebie-jeebies but that was the least of her problems.

A tall man with a cape and helmet was walking towards her, he carried a limp form. Damia tried to choke out the name of the girl he carried but her assailant's grip tightened around her throat. Damia winced, watching as the girl was handed to Toad who followed the man with the helmet. She found herself being forced to follow as well, Sabretooth pushing her along.

Outside the small party was greeted by a great number of armed police men, their guns pointed at the man leading the way. At that point the hand around her neck loosened considerably while the cat-man turned and gripped his leader's throat.

"Let them go, Magneto,"he growled. Damia was surprised by this at first but when Magneto spoke again her confusion evaporated.

"Come out and show yourself, Charles," Magneto's clear voice rang through the air. Damia almost cried out with joy when she realized that the Professor was there to save her.

Her eyes carried to Toad who was slowly turning away, Rogue over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Unfortunately Magneto also noticed. All the guns that the policemen had been holding floated up into the air in an amazing show of Magneto's powers. All of them were cocked and ready to fire.

"It's the humans or the girls." Again Magneto's voice filled the night air. Damia's heart sank, she knew what was coming. For a moment no one moved. "Alright then, Charles."

Damia winced as one of the weapons fired. When she opened her eyes again she saw the bullet pressing into the flesh of one of the officers. It spun slowly as if time had been slowed down considerably.

"You can't stop them all, Charles." Magneto's eyes scanned the mass of people who stood before him with guns pointed straight at their faces.

She knew what Xavier's decision would be even before she felt the Sabretooth's hand tighten around her neck again. The bullet and guns dropped to the ground as a helicopter hovered before them. She found herself being buckled into the seat next to the unconscious Rogue. Magneto and the beast sat across from her and Toad took the co-pilot's seat.

As the aircraft lifted from the ground Damia couldn't help but scold herself inwardly. _None of this would have happened if you had just attacked him! How stupid can one person be!? _But at the same time she knew she couldn't have done it even if she wanted to.


	6. Screwed not what you think, you dirty mi...

A/N: Again, thanks to those of you who actually r/r. You're amazing. In case you haven't noticed, I update daily... actually my obsession drives me to update mulitple times in one day. As one of the few people who was so kind as to review pointed out, I am following the story line of the first movie which means that there will be a scene involving Liberty Island. I am quite excited for that chapter and its all I can do to keep from writing it now. But I won't. Now, on with the story! 

Damia was stretched out on her bed, her legs and head dangling off the edges of the narrow twin-sized mattress. With a sigh she observed her surroudings. Everything was upside down from her point of view. Her hazel eyes skimmed over the metallic door, locked. She took in the walls which she had discovered were also metal, just with wallpaper to make it look pretty. There were no windows to let in the golden rays of the sun, just the florecent lights above her in the mettalic ceiling which gave off weak artifitial lgiht. There was a bathroom adjacent to her room but it was just as bleak. This was her person cell, made to look like a hotel room.

There was the sound of footsteps outside her door and she sat up. Maybe it was the X-men, come to save her. She almost laughed out loud at her hopes. There was no way that her family of mutants would be able to find the rock in the middle of the ocean, the metal base for the Brotherhood. No, it was probably just one of the villans coming to retrieve her and bring her to the big boss man. She was right.

The door swung open and the familiar green man stepped through the door. Damia ignored the fact that her stomach felt like it went bungee jumping when she saw him. There he was, the source of all her problems. If she had only attacked him like she should have then she wouldn't be in the metal room with no windows. If she had only alerted someone when she found him in the woods that night, it would be her standing there with a smug expression. And yet his eyes, his hair, his face, his... _Stop it, Damia!_

"I don't suppose you're my knight in shining armor, come to whisk me away," Damia mused outloud. She sat on the edge of her bed, watching him out of the corner of her eye.

Toad was quick to hide the smile he felt coming on at the mere sight of her. _I wish I were... Gah! No! Don't go there, mate._ "I'm not the shining armor type, love." He crossed the room and stood in front of her. "Come on. Don't want to keep the boss waiting."

Damia got up and followed him. They walked down various hallways, all of which were metal and she couldn't tell if they had passed through them on her way in or not. They all looked the same but surely one of them would bring her outside, to freedom, fresh air, green trees, and a bright sun. Looking down every hall they passed Damia realized that it would impossible to tell.

Finally Toad stopped infront of a door. It swung open when he knocked and the two of them entered. Damia found herself in a brightly lit office made of metal. Magneto sat behind the desk in front of her, his helmet was off and she could see the gray hair. He looked considerably older without the helmet.

"Sit down," he said gently. As he waved his hand, a chair pulled up for Damia sit in. When she was seated Magneto continued. "Welcome to our headquarters. I hope you find your room comfortable." Damia snorted in response. "No? Well that can be changed. If you join us."

It was all Damia could do not to laugh let alone fall of her chair. "Join you? Magneto I had no idea you were a joker."

The older man sughed. "I take it your decision is made. That's a shame, we could have put your unique abilities to use. Take her back to her room, Toad." At his master's biding Toad stepped forward but Damia pushed his hands away.

"Wait a minute, I'm not done talking to you Mags," Damia sneered. Magneto raised his eyebrows and motioned for Toad to stop. "That's better. Where's Rogue?"

"I see you waste no time with small talk." Magneto leaned forward and rested his chin in his hands. "The girl is safe, for now. She's being treated well. I wouldn't worry your pretty little head if I were you."

Damia's eyes narrowed. "What are you planning on doing to her?" After a slight pause she continued, "What are you planning on doing to me, for that matter?"

Magneto's chuckle chilled her very blood. "Let's just say the girl's powers will be put to a good use. You, I'm afraid, will have to stay in that room of yours. Unless of course you change your mind. Remember, the offer is always on the table."

With the wave of his hand, Damia was being led out of the room by Toad. She reluctantly followed him back to her room where she slumped on her bed. _So its this hell hole or taking orders from him? Eaither way I'm screwed._ With a sigh she stretched out. Maybe she could attempt an escape.


	7. Villains Don't Feel That

A/N: Hello, dear readers. Welcome to the next chapter of my story. Again I'd like to thank my reviewers. You complete me. (No idea why that came to mind.) The size of my chapters has been called my attention and I'd just like to point a few things out which I would like all of you to keep in mind.

1. I update multiple times a day because I'm a loser and have no homework

2. I wake up at 5 AM on weekdays so I can get at least one chapter done before I leave for school.

3. It takes a long time to write long chapters.

So in short, the length of my chapters will fluctuate but I'll try to keep them long. Now, ON WITH THE STORY!!!

Oh yeah, there might be some inappropriate language (in other words fuck... maybe some others) to go along with Toad's... uh... mannerisms.

The white ceiling had cracks. Damia turned her head and thought about this. It was odd that a metal room, designed to look like a hotel room, would have cracks in the ceiling. Perhaps they did it to make it look more like an ordinary room.

Damia squinted at the lumpy paint. Maybe if she stared at it long enough a hole would appear and she could escape. Or if she had any luck, a misshapen figure of an animal would show up. After shifting a little to right she could see it, a little pig was looking back at her... or maybe it was a frog.

As she pondered this the door to her room opened and closed, Damia didn't bother looking up. She recognized the almost inaudible footsteps immediately. They were the ones she longed to hear, possibly more than the rushed thudding noises the X-men would make if they were to save her.

"Hello, Toad," Damia said as she kept her eyes fixed on the ceiling. "What brings you to my charming prison resort?"

She was aware of him looking at her as he spoke. "I brought you food," was all he grumbled in that cute British accent. _Not Cute!_ she quickly corrected herself.

Sitting up and sliding off the uncomfortable bed, Damia crossed the room and looked at the tray Toad had brought. There was a huge slab of what looked like uncooked meat with a side of something soupy and mushy vegetables. Suddenly Damia wasn't hungry anymore.

"Uh... I'm not hungry." Damia flopped back onto her bed and began to study her ceiling once more. _Great, you're already weakening from not being outside and now you won't eat. Nice. Smooth move X-lax._

Toad was about to leave when she had made the comment, he stopped and turned to her. "What, you don't like my cooking," he asked, sounding a little miffed.

_Cooking? Yeah, right! _Damia was on the verge of speaking her mind when she thought better of it. "Toad?"

His anger evaporated at the sound of her voice saying his name but it soon returned full force. _What in the bloody hell is wrong with me? She's with the bloomin' X-men... not to mention she's a sarky bugger. _

"Come here, please," Damia said. Her eyes never moved from the cracks on the ceiling and she remained completely oblivious to what was running through Toad's head at the moment.

He blinked a few times. She had just asked him to approach while she was laying on a bed. Toad was having a hard time believing it. No female of _any_ species had ever touched him without flinching, the exception lying before him. Now he had a new thing to add to the list firsts. Slowly he moved towards her, barely keeping his body from shaking.

When Toad stood next her bed Damia finally looked at him. For a moment she lost her train of thought because the first thing she saw were his black eyeswatching her closely, almost nervously. She could drown in those eyes. Damia snapped out of it quickly and she suddenly felt the same nervousness as Toad when she realized the situation.

Damia turned away while asking, "Do those cracks look like a pig or a frog?"

His gaze turned up to the ceiling and he began to inspect them. As he looked up Toad could swear he could feel her eyes on him. A lump began to rise in his throat and he cursed himself for this sensation. Glancing down Toad caught her eyes shift back to the ceiling above her. _Jesus suffering fuck! She's going to do in my head._

Damia kept her eyes intently on the lumpy white paint. _Why the hell was I looking at him!? Oh, no. There's that feeling again. _As Damia stared at the ceiling the feeling of being stared atwashed over her like a flashflood. Toad was fixedly watching her, subconsciously memorizing every curve and contour of her face. As he studied her a thought came to mind, she looked a little paler than she had yesterday. The thought faded as his blackish eyes rested on her lips.

"It's a pig," Toad said abruptly before hurriedly leaving the room. He needed to get away from her or his sanity would go down the drain completely.

There was something very wrong with him. Every waking moment was spent thinking about the young prisoner, she even visited him in his dreams. Whenever he found himself in the same room as her, his stomach would do acrobatics. Each time her voice reached his ears it was as if he were floating on a cloud of music. _This is bullshit, _Toad thought as he slumped against the wall opposite of Damia's door. He wasn't quite ready to leave her presence entirely so he sat on the floor and thought. _Maybe I... No! No, I couldn't. I'm a villain I can't feel... I can't feel that. Can I?_ Toad's eyes fell on the door across from him. He shook his head. _Even if I did she probably doesn't._


	8. The Ill

A/N: I always feel like someone's watchin' meee! Sorry but this song by Rockwell is playing right at this very moment and it reminded of Damia. Wow, I have no life. Onward, ho (not slut)! '

There might be some naughty, bad, horrible language to come. I haven't quite worked out the chapter entirely... or most of the story (I write it by ear, basing most of the story off bits that I know I want in there. I'm such a bad person.

* * *

It had been about two days and the lack of food and non-metal surroundings was getting to her. Damia lay in her bed, hoping to fall asleep soon. The feeling she had was much like the one normal people get when they have the flu. She was consumed by the desire to do nothing but sleep, she didn't even want to get up to go to the bathroom. 

Footsteps entered her room as the door opened and closed, Toad had brought the usual slop of inedible food. Damia lay on her stomach, one hand draped over the edge of the bed and the blankets over her head. She thought back to the short-lived conversation she had with him the previous night. "Toad," she had said. "I'm thinking of escaping." She had more energy then and would have been able to if she tried. Toad had merely scoffed at her. He hadn't picked up on the desperation in her voice, or he ignored it. Damia had pondered how she would get out of the room let alone the headquarters for the Brotherhood, now she was too weak to care.

Toad entered the room but avoided looking at Damia's bed. On his way out he chanced a glance her direction. Without fail for the past two days she would be sitting on her bed, waiting for him with a strange smile. Today there was only a lump to greet him. He knew that something was not right. He had stalked her for a solid week and knew that everyday she woke up at 5 AM on the dot. She was like clockwork.

Cautiously he stepped forward. "Rise and shine, sweetheart." Toad's sarcastic voice filled the room. Damia only grunted in response. "What, too tired to even flip me the bird?"

Damia was overcome with the desireto defiantly give him the finger but decided she was too tired. Again her only response was grunt. Toad found that panic was starting to grip him. What had happened to the energetic young girl who would verbally assault him?

A little unnerved, Toad let the room. He heard the door shut behind him as he made his way to Magneto's office. He was almost to the door when it opened and the older man walked out into the hall.

"Mags, I think you should have a looksee at the prisoner," he tried to keep his voice from shaking but he knew that Magneto had heard the worry.

Without a word they went to the metal hotel room to find Damia still under the covers of her uncomfortable bed. Since Toad left she had shifted positions and now lay on her back, her eyes narrowed to make it look like she was sleeping.

Magneto surveyed the girl before turning to Toad. "What's the problem?" The lack of care was evident in his tone of voice.

Toad looked from Magneto to Damia and back again before saying, "She's usually up at the crack of sparrow's fart, she is."

For a minute Magneto looked confused at Toad's odd slang but it sank in. He sighed and turned to Damia and after a few quick tests he knew what the problem was. "It seems as though the young lady's mutations require her to be near... natural things. Being away from them has weakened her."

"Right, so let's get her out there," said Toadas he clapped his hands together.

Magneto seemed to consider this for a moment before speaking again. "No, I think she'll be fine in bed."

Toad's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Mags, she looks like death warmed up. Leavin' her here would be murder." His master's eyebrow rose.

"You never had a problem with killing people before. If I didn't know any better I would say that you have gone soft. Perhaps even developed feelings for Ms. Damia." Magneto eyed the flushing green man with contempt and knowing. "The girl stays," he said forcefully. He turned to leave.

"You're pissing mad! You can't leave her here." Toad regretted his words almost as soon as they left his mouth, he knew a punishment was in store.

Magneto stiffened and turned towards Toad. With one deft movement Toad had flown across the room, hitting the wall with a sickening thud before he landed on the floor in a heap.

Magneto sneered, "Let that serve as a reminder, Mortimer. _I_ am in charge here, _I_ tell _you _what-" He stopped short at the feeling of a soft breeze.

Slowly Magneto turned. He found himself staring at a pale Damia as she shakily stood up from the bed. Beads of sweat were forming on her forehead as she used the last of her strength to conjure the wind. Blasts of icy cold air were beating down on Magneto, he could feel his nose go numb from the cold. The gusts of howling wind forced him out the door which slammed in his face.

Inside the room, Damia was panting as the adrenaline still pumped through her. It had drained the little energy she had when she influenced the air and she marveled at how she had managed it. She staggered over to the heap on the floor and dropped to her knees.

"Your sorry ass better wake up," she said between deep breaths. Toad didn't move and she realized he was unconscious. "Son of a motherless goat." Damia grunted and she willed her wobbly knees not to give out under the combined weight of her and the unconscious Toad whom she barely supported. The room was getting fuzzy and it seemed to spin slightly.

By some miracle she made it to the bed. Damia dropped Toad onto it just before she herself collapsed, exhausted, beside him. She was out like a light, sleeping peacefully with the green man beside her.

* * *

Hehehe! Excellent set up for the next chapter, no? Surprisingly, I wasn't planning on ending it this way. What's coming up in the next chapter definately was not one of the bits of the story I'm basing everything around... but I can pretend. 


	9. Deductive Reasoning

Toad awoke without opening his eyes, he could feel himself slipping off the edge of the bed. Hey lay on his side facing the middle of the bed. With his eyes still closed he groggily slid towards the middle and was soon ready to sleep again. But something was amiss.

There was a sensation much like warm breath on his face and it felt like there was something in the bed with him.

His dark eyes burst open. Instinctively he wanted to jump away, escape the form in front of him but he couldn't. Toad was frozen to the spot, unable to take his eyes off the girl sleeping before him.

The cheek that shared the same pillow was pale, the eyes were closed, the lips parted slightly. _Jesus suffering fuck! Was I pissed as a fart last night? _Toad pondered the possibility of having beencompletely drunk last night as the reason for him being in a bed with a pretty girl. _No, it wouldn't take a drink to get me here... maybe she was mashed._

Toad's thoughts were lost as he looked at Damia again. She was mere inches away. He could see the long lashes that curled gracefully away from the eyelid covering the maelstrom of hazel.

Suddenly she shifted in her sleep, moving closer to him. Toad stiffened as Damia rested her head against his chest. Never in all his life had he been this close to someone let alone in the same bed as a member of the opposite sex. He found himself thinking back to the way Damia had touched him, unflinchingly. Suppressing a sigh, he relaxed. Hesitantly he wrapped his arm around her, holding her closer. Toad's nose was filled with the smell of a garden, and despite his mental scolding, he smiled and thanked his lucky stars.

It was time to wake up, she had slept enough and her body didn't want anymore of it. Slowly, Damia came to but she kept her eyes closed, not wanting to leave her sleep. She took a deepbreath and smiled when a faint earthy scent reached her nose. Just the smell of what was outside filled her with the will and strength she needed to escape. _Wait a minute...if I'm still in the metal hell hole then where...?_

Her eyes flickered open and she froze at the sight of two black eyes staring back at her. That was when she became aware of an arm around her and just how close she was to the person in front of her. She also noted that neither one of them was moving away. Damia blinked a few times to make sure she wasn't dreaming. _Did hell freeze over?_

Sensing her nervousness, Toad pulled away, ignoring the fact that every fiber of his being screamed at him to stay. He wondered if this was how women felt upon being left after a one night stand. He could feel her eyes on him again.

"So, what happened last night? Were you as pissed as a fart, or what?" Toad didn't look at her as he crossed the room and sat in a chair.

"Uh," Damia thought back to the previous night. "If 'pissed as a fart' means drunk then no. How much do you remember anyway?"

He fiddled with his lighter, still not looking at her. "I remember Magneto throwing me at a wall. Bloody hell, that hurt." Involuntarily he gave a little squirm, remembering the pain caused by his little encounter.

"Well after that I kind of... kicked him out of the room. The rest is a little fuzzy but I think I helped you to the bed," Damia explained while she played with a loose string on her blanket.

There was a long awkward silence in which neither one of them spoke. _There is no way hell is worse than this. Dear God, please smite me now, _Damia thought as she glanced up at Toad.

"I need to get out of here," Damia finally said to break the silence. Toad looked up before he could stop himself. "If I stay here too long I'll probably kick the bucket." She looked to Toad, her hazel eyes pleading. "I can't do it alone."

He felt something inside shatter at the desperation in her voice and eyes. Toad looked away quickly, unable to bare the look in her eyes. He couldn't help her, he was a villain and Magneto would kill him if he did. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to think about her rotting in the metal room.

He stood up and sighed as he opened the door. "Go the left and follow this hall to the end then take a right. The way out is the second door on your left." _Bloody hell, I've gone loony. Is she smiling at me?_

Damia smiled appreciatively at Toad, her hazel eyes dancing again. "Thanks, Toad."

"Its Mort," he mumbled. "My names Mortimer."

Again she smiled and for a moment she hesitated before she quickly leaned closer to him. Damia's cherry lips lightly brushed his green tinted skin. She had kissed him on the cheek. After one last glance into his deep eyes, she reluctantly bounded out the door and down the hall.

After following the seemingly endless corridor to end she took a sharp right, passing the first door almost immediately. The second doorway was further down the hall and up a flight of stairs. She took them two at a time and heaved the metal door open.

The bright sun was almost blinding and the breeze smelled of the sea. Damia took deep breaths, inhaling the fresh air around her. The strength returned to her with every breath she took. She skimmed the barren, rocky terrain of the island. The nearest cliff was to her west.

Damia approached the cliff and looked down. Hundreds of feet below her, the ocean was pounding furiously at the rocks below. With a readying breath she dived off the cliff. The air flew past her, whistling in her ears and stinging her eyes. The jagged rocks below her grew steadily closer.

She concentrated very hard on the wind that was whipping through her golden brown hair. It shifted until it was below her, supporting her. The sea and the rocks stayed a satisfying distance below her and the edge of the cliff above her. With a smile Damia headed across the ocean towards home. On her way she reflected on what had just happened in the prison cell. She remembered how Toad had tried to stand up to Magneto for her and how he had helped her escape. _Maybe he's not so bad._ After probing the sensations she had every time he was near her and the ones she experienced when he wasn't around, she came to a conclusion.

_I'm in love._

Toad stood in the prison cell, Damia had just ran from the room. More importantly, she had just kissed him. His hand went to his cheek, touching the place where he lips had left the burning sensation. _What in the bloody hell...?_

Slowly he made his way across the room and collapsed onto the bed, face-first. Once again the smell of flowers met his nose. So far Damia had touched his skin without being disgusted, helped in a time of need, beckoned to him while sitting on a bed, helped _again_ in a time of need, cuddled him, and she had kissed him. For Mortimer Toynbee those were all firsts, each of which came from the same girl who gave him strange feelings and plagued his mind.

_Holy Jesus. I think I might... No! I can't be in l-_Mort's reasoning was cut short by an arrogant voice.

"Toad, where is the girl," Magneto asked from the doorway.

He closed his eyes and said truthfully, "I let her go before she bought the bloody farm." Turning his head he saw his master smiling.

Magneto's voice was filled with satisfactions. "Toad, you may have just helped us without knowing it."


	10. A Breakthrough

A/N: Sorry about my lack of updates yesterday but I had to baby sit. Fear not, I shall work extra hard today to make up for it.

* * *

Scott "Cyclops" Summers parked the sports car in the drive way before getting out, Damia tiredly followed him. Once she had reached the main land she went straight the nearest pay phone and called the Institute for a ride, the Professor sent Scott. 

The giant oak doors stood before her, and she sighed in relief. It felt so good to be home. The doors swung open and she walked into the massive hall with the checkered floor. Damia was over come by the sudden urge to yell at the top of her lungs "I'm home" but she stifled it.

Damia went straight to the Professor's office knowing he'd want a word with her. The door swung open and she slipped into the room, quietly closing the door behind.

Professor Xavier was looking out his window but he didn't have to turn around to know that Damia was standing in the room. "Please, have a seat." She sat down as he turned to face her.

"Damia, welcome back," he said with a warming smile.

"Thank you, Professor," Damia returned quietly without looking in his eyes.

The Professor leaned forward in his wheelchair. "So, tell me about your experience with the Brotherhood."

With a sigh Damia told him all that had happened, beginning with Magneto asking her to join them and ending with Mort helping her escape. She knew it was pointless to leave out the part about waking up in bed with the green man but she couldn't help it.

"I'm sorry I didn't try to find Rogue. I'll go back for her after I've had some rest." Damia realized that she was hanging her head in shame but didn't do anything about it.

Again Xavier smiled. "Don't worry. I'll locate her exact coordinates using Cerebro and I'll send Logan and some others to get her back." He poured himself a cup of tea as he asked, "Would you like some?" At Damia's refusal he continued. "Let's talk about a certain Mortimer Toynbee."

Damia nearly fell off her chair at the mention of his name. This was the last thing she wanted to do. Discussing her feelings for a well known mutant terrorist was not one of Damia's top priorities but she knew she'd have to do it.

"As you've told me, he's helped you quite a bit." Again Xavier leaned forward, placing his elbows on his desk and resting his chin in his hands. "That wasn't the only time you've encountered him, was it?" Damia shook her head in response, words failing her. "I believe when you first met Mr. Toynbee you helped him and let him leave without alerting anyone to his presence. Am I correct?" Again Damia only nodded. "I won't continue with your other encounters with him, I can see them all plainly in your thoughts. They stand out quite a bit in your memory, Damia."

Finally she looked up, her eyes filled with sorrow. "I'm sorry Professor, it all just sort of happened and-" she stopped when he held up his hand.

"There's no need to be sorry," He said in his calm, relaxing voice. "I understand completely."

Again Damia nearly fell off her chair before she managed to ask, "You do? But he's a criminal."

Charles Xavier laughed lightly in response to her questions. "Damia, he might be a terrorist and a henchman for Magneto but he showed you a great deal of kindness while you were with the Brotherhood. I believe you unearthed something in Mr. Toynbee that no one else saw before." He wheeled over to the door and sat in front of it for a minute. "Just remember, I don't disapprove but that's no reason to drop your guard. I don't doubt that Magneto knows as well and he might use this information in the worst way possible." He opened the door for Damia who stood up. "Now, you had a long trip and you look like you could use some rest."

Damia smiled at the professor and hugged him. "Thanks, Prof," she said before dashing to her room.

The first thing she did was take a hot shower and then she flopped onto her welcoming bed. _So good to be home. Hello, bed. Did you miss me? _The thoughts of a bed and people missing other people brought Toad to mind. She also remembered the Professor's words, a smile played across her lips and with a sigh of contentment she left her room.

The moment she walked into the rec room all eyes settled on her. It was like her first day all over again, the only difference was that the faces weren't warm and welcoming. They were all curious.

"Nymph," someone called from the other side of the room.

Damia looked up and smiled at her friend. "Iceman!" They ran to each other and embraced. When they pulled away she noticed how worried he still looked, even with a bit of relief. Damia's tone went somber when she spoke again. "I'm sorry, Bobby. I wouldn't have been able to find Rogue in that maze if I had been given the rest of my life."

Bobby frowned as he nodded, Damia hated to see her friend that way. "There is good news. The Prof is going to send a pick up for her. She'll be back here in no time."

There was that smile she had been looking for. "Thanks, Damia. Oh, I have to go. I'll see you later." Bobby hurried off before Damia could respond.

With a smile she walked through the rec room. It really was good to be back at the X-mansion.

She had finally mad it outside when two hands wrapped around her waist from behind, Damia froze. She had no idea whose hands were on her but whoever it was going to be in pain if they didn't let go. A voice in her ear identified the person.

"Hey, baby. Did you miss me," asked none other than Pyro.

"Let go of me, please," Damia growled back to him.

Pyro laughed quietly in her ear. "You know you love me. Don't resist it, Nymph."

Damia's eyes widened and she scoffed at him. "Give it up, John. I love-" she stopped suddenly when she realized what she was about to say.

His arms tightened around her as he said, "It doesn't matter who you think you love. You'll be mine in the end." Never before had he been this threatening in his advances. _If he's this bad with me then what would he be like with..._Damia suddenly felt a twinge of fear.

"You have to the count of three to let go of me," she said viscously and swallowing her fear. His arms just tightened even more and Damia winced. _Forget about three!_ Damia thought about winter. If she could just get it work...

The temperature began to drop rapidly and Damia had to suppress a shiver. While holding the coldness steadily in her mind she turned her attention to the wind. A huge gust of wind engulfed her and Pyro. His arms left her waist to so he could shield himself from the icy cold blasts and he ran for the cover of the mansion.

Damia sat on the ground as the wind stopped and the temperature returned to normal. She was exhausted and her breaths came in ragged pants. Never before had she been able to control the seasons at will, usually it was when she was only when she overcome by emotion that she could get the seasons to shift. Of course when she went barefoot the plants that her feet touched would go through them but she never meant for that to happen.

With a shaky sigh Damia fell back on the grass. There had only been one thought on her mind while she called the wind and the winter. It was Mortimer "Toad" Toynbee that she thought of when Pyro had his arms around her. She had been afraid that if she told Pyro who she loved, Mortimer might be put in danger. _It always seems to be that whenever I think of him being in trouble I get control over my second ability. _

With a deep sigh Damia murmured, "Oh, Mortimer. If only you were here."

* * *

Sorry, this one kinda sucked. I promise I'll make up for it. 


	11. Revisiting the Past

A/N: Thanks to my naughty reviewer for loving my fic enough to run run the risk of getting grounded again. You are truly wonderful.

* * *

"Hey, Logan. Where's the Prof, I need to talk to him." Damia had just walked back inside. She felt she needed to tell the Professor about her breakthrough. She also felt that he was the only oneshe could tell without being criticized.

Logan turned his grave eyes to Damia. "He's in the infirmary."

Her hazel eyes widened as she spoke, "Why? What's wrong? What happened?"

"He was using Cerebro when something went wrong. Someone sabotaged it to make sure he wouldn't be able to locate the island." Logan seemed to be a mix of angry and worried.

Damia took off at a run towards the hospital wing. She skidded to a stop out front of the doors, the sanitary smell seeping through and assaulting her nose. With a deep, steadying breath she stepped into the room.

Inside the room was a blinding white with the sickening sterile smell. There was a bed in one corner with the curtain drawn, two people could be heard speaking in hushed voices. Damia recognized them as Scott and Jean.

"Hello," Damia said quietly, so as not to seem like she was eavesdropping.

Scott's head poked out from behind the curtain, his red sunglasses reflected the white walls. He motioned Damia towards the curtain before he disappeared behind it again. Slowly she walked forward, her shoes squeaking slightly on the tiled floor. She reached the curtain and stepped behind it.

The Professor lay in the bed, the blankets drawn up to his chest. He was unconscious.

"How's he doing?" Damia braced herself for the worst.

Jean sighed and said, "His condition is stable. He'll make it but he'll be out for awhile." Damia let out her breath, not realizing she had been holding it.

"Logan said something was wrong with Cerebro...?" She looked from Jean to Scott and then to the Professor.

"We think Mystique somehow got in and messed with it so he wouldn't be able to get a lock on you and Rogue," Jean answered again.

"That's exactly why you shouldn't have tried it yourself," Scott scolded causing Damia to look more closely at Jean. She looked exhausted. "What were you thinking?" She only sighed and shook her head in response to Scott.

Damia waited for a moment in the awkward silence before she broke it. "Uh, guys? Could I have a minute with the Professor, alone?"

Jean and Scott exchanged looks. "Of course," said Jean tenderly before she rose from her chair. Scott immediately helped her.

When she heard the doors to the infirmary close Damia sighed and sat beside the Professor's bed. He looked so peaceful, his hands folded over his chest, his bald head shining slightly.

"I'm sorry," Damia blurted out. "This is all my fault." Tears sprang to her eyes as she spoke. "You'd think after you took me in I'd be more grateful, but no." Damia wiped away her tears and she took the Professor's hand. "I should have tried to spring Rogue while I was there. I'm really sorry, Professor." Damia leaned over and kissed the top of his bald head. "I'll bring her back. I promise."

The doors to the medical wing swung violently when Damia walked out. Her head was held high, her shoulders back. There was meaning in her stride as she walked down the halls, her hazel eyes glinting malicously.

As the doors slid open the lights flickered on, bathing the arsenal in light. Shelf upon shelf was filled withguns, knives, swords, explosives, and pretty much any other kind of weapon imaginable. The room was very well organized; sharp pointy objects, dull things for beating, things that go 'bang,' and lastly, things that go 'boom.'

Damia strolled the aisles as if she were grocery shopping. She avoided the gun section, knowing that Magneto would have no problem disarming her if she had one with her. She was drawn to the swords and sharp objects. Selecting only one blade, long and light. It was metallic and Magneto would be able to use that against her but she didn't care.

Along with the sword she picked out a night stick. It wouldn't do much damage but at least it wasn't metal. She packed a small bag with dynamite, flash grenades, gas grenades, and a few other explosives. Damia also packed in a knife, rope, and a flashlight. She knew it was all a little much but it was better than going in there unprepared.

After getting her equipment together she changed into her formfitting leather suit, bearing the X-men symbol on the belt. After one last check to make sure she had everything, Damia grabbed a set of keys and left the mansion.

It was several hours later after a car ride from Westchester to the marina and a lengthy boat ride. The boat was bobbing slightly on the calmed waves. The wall of the island rose to Damia's immediate left, it was a sheer wall of rock.

While keeping the ocean still she shifted the cliff wall. Slowly a makeshift stair formed, leading up for several hundred feet. She stepped out of the boat and onto the first step. Quickly she tied the boat to a rock, hoping it would still be in once piece when she returned.

Damia hurried up the stairs, her feet making very little noise as they hit the rough steps. The salty sea air blew against her and she could feel her legs tire from the unaccustomed climb but she ignored it and pressed on.

It seemed like hours had passed when she finally reached the top, her legs were sore and she was a little tired from the steep incline. With one wave of her hand the rocky steps shifted back to their usual places in the cliff wall.

The top of the island was barren and rocky, large boulders protruding here and there. Damia realized she that there had to be security cameras but she didn't know where. _Maybe if I shift the seasons I can get it to snow and they'll get covered._ Damia thought at length of how she would getby them unnoticed.

She was about to conjure a wind and a drop of temperature when she heard the distant sounds of a helicopter. It was approaching fast and she almost didn't get the rock morphed in time.

As the aircraft landed, Damia was hiding inside a large boulder. It wrapped around her and completely covered her except for a small peep-hole. She watched as the ground moved with a loud complaining creak which hid the sounds of mechanics. The helicopter slowly lowered into the hole in the ground and Damia took that as her chance.

Her hiding place changed and she dashed out towards the now closing gap. As she ran she influenced the wind and it followed her down the hole as she dived in. The wind she had fabricated suspended her just below where the hatch doors were. Below her the helicopter's engine had been cut, the blades slowing down. The corners of the hangar were filled with various crates and boxes.

The slowly dying wind carried Damia swiftlyto acorner and she ducked behind a crate, unseen. A blue, scaly woman climbed out of the helicopter and was followed closely by a scared looking man. Damia recognized him as Senator Kelly, the man who wanted to pass the Mutant Registration Act. The two of them left and Damia was about to follow when there movement from the helicopter.

She sank back just as someone hopped out of the pilot's seat. Damia's heart soared at the sight of a short man with green-brown hair and sallow skin. Mortimer was looking at the helicopter with disapproval. He mumbled under his breath as he retrieved some tools from the top of a crate on the other side of the room and began to work on the aircraft.

Damia was torn. Part of her wanted to call out to him, to be in the same room as him. The other part of her wanted to stay true to the promise she made the ailing Professor. Biting her lip, Damia looked from the door of the hangar to Toad and back again. Finally she made up her mind.

Stealthily, Damia dashed to the cover of the next box. She paused, straining her ears for a sound from Mortimer, any pause in his repairs that might suggest he had noticed something. She peeked out from between two boxes and saw that he was still absorbed by his task.

Heart pounding, Damia moved onto the next set of containers before pausing and listening again. This carried on for a few minutes until she was at the final stretch. The door was about twenty feet away, so close she could feel the knob in her hands. She got ready to move, listening for a cease in the clinks of the tools against the helicopter parts. She was about to run, just coming out of the crouching position when the door opened.

Damia's heart nearly jumped out of her mouth as she fell back, imaginary hands pulling her back to the safety and cover of the crates. She silently scooted around the side of the wooden box so whoever came through the door wouldn't see her.

"Toad," a loud, ferocious voice called. Damia peggedit as Sabretooth the cat-man. "Magneto wants to speak to you." No response. "What are you looking at," the voice growled.

"None of your bloody business you wanker," roared and angry, heavily accented voice. "Tell old Mags I'll talk to him when I'm pissing done!" The sound of the metal tools against the helicopter parts started again but stopped just as soon. "What are you still doing here? Piss off!"

Damia distinctly heard an animal sniffing. "I smell something," Sabretooth growled, still smelling the air. "It smells like flowers."

Her eyes clamped shut and she held her breath as the footsteps neared her. She concentrated on making the slightest of breezes to carry her scent away, in hopes of distracting the beastly man. Something else beat her to the punch.

"Oy! Are you deaf? I told you to bloody _PISS OFF!_" As the angry British accent finished shouting out his last word a dull clunk filled the hangar, closely followed by a loud roar.

Sabretooth had suddenly lost interest in the flowery smell and his footsteps were thumping away towards the helicopter. Damia could hear him snarl incoherent words and she saw him between a small gap in the boxes. He picked Toad up by the collar and roughly pushed him against the wall. Toad merely laughed at the cat-man, much to his misfortune.

Sabretooth's free hand clenched into a fist before it came into contact with Mortimer's face. Damia winced and turned away, trying with all her might to keep her powers in check. She heard a soft thud when Sabretooth let the little green man fall to the floor before storming out of the room.

The door closed and Damia peeked around the corner of her hiding place to make sure he was really gone. When she saw that no one was there she swiftly came out of the cover of the box and walked to the slumped figure.

His eyes were closed as he leaned against the landing skids of the helicopter, a small trickle of blood could be seen in the corner of his mouth. As Damia knelt down beside him his black eyes opened and he looked into the hazel voids of her eyes. For a moment neither of them said anything.

"I'm sorry," Damia finally whispered, looking away.

Mortimer snorted. "S'not your fault. I'm the one who threw the wrench at the stupid git. At least it was better than a slap in the face with a wet kipper."

Damia smiled weakly as she looked back at him. She silently reached out and very gently wiped the blood from his lip, her pale hand skimming his clammy skin in the process. All she could manage to say was, "Thank you, Mort."

Surprised by the abrupt contact he just stared at her for a moment. He could see the genuine concern in her hazel eyes and felt his insides melt.

"Don't worry about it," he said waving his hand. "What brings you back anyway? Couldn't get enough of my charm?" He smiled at her smugly and Damia laughed a little despite the seriousness of her situation.

"I'm here to get Rogue." She hesitated before continuing. "The Professor was going to send some of the X-men butsomething went wrong when he tried to use Cerebro and now he's incapacitated."

"You mean more than before," asked Toad jokingly.

Damia ignored his comment and continued. "Since no one else knows where this rock is I decided to come out and her get her myself."

His black eyes widened at her. "You're telling me you're here alone? Bloody hell, you must be suicidal."

"No," Damia sighed. "I left on a guilt trip. Its my fault he's laid up, if I had gotten Rogue before, then maybe..." she trailed off and looked down at one of her rings, a Celtic knot.

"Why feel so guilty," he asked with authentic curiosity.

Damia took a deep breath. "Well my parents kicked me out when I was fifteen, that was when they first found out about my mutation. I had managed to hide ituntil then, the only reason they noticed was because my cat almost got hit by a car and somehow a chunk of the road mysteriously shot up out of the ground, saving him. Anyway they were disgusted by me and threw me out. Well, left me stranded in the woods is more like it.

"I lived in those same woods for couple of years, surviving by using my powers. After awhile I stumbled across a town where awidow took me in. She had me work in her flower shop. I grew the flowers. And to make a long story short, she died and Charles Xavier found me."

"I grew up in an orphanage," Toad said quietly."Once I was old enough I left and lived on the street, rolling drunks. Magneto found me and took me in. He's like a father to me, even if he is a loonyold fart."

"Yeah, I know the feeling. Charles is like a father to me, even if I have only known him for a few weeks." Damia could feel the tears stinging her eyes. "I had to come to get Rogue, to make it up to him." She wiped a tear away and began to study her ring again, the intricate pattern calling all her attention.

Damia was surprised when her hand was covered by one with a green hue. She looked up at Mortimer who now held her hand and she had the vague suspicion that he had never made physical contact with anyone before, unless killing them. Her lips curled into a grateful smile when she felt the clammy skin against her own. It was a feeling she had longed for since she first met him.

"Damia, I can't help you this time. Magneto already thinks I'm sabbin' his plans," Mortimer looked into her eyes somberly. "All I can do is turn my back while you walk out that door. After that you're on your own."

Damia nodded and smiled at him. "Thanks, Mort," she said as she leaned forward and hugged him. She surprised the both of them. Toad tensed slightly and Damia pulled back, sensing his discomfort.

She stood up and hurried out of the room, once again, leaving Mortimer in awe.

* * *

Ah, there we go. Nice and long with plenty of the gushy stuff. I hope I didn't go too overboard with Mort, though. His personality kinda limits how much lovey-dovey stuff you can put in one chapter. 


	12. Attempted Escape

Noiselessly she ran down the metal hallways, the walls and floor shone in the artificial light. Doors flew past on either side ofher as she hurried by them. Rogue had to be inone of the rooms, but there were so many of them.

Damia pressed herself against the wall and peered around the corner. The next hall was empty so she slipped down it and began her search again. The base was like a giant, magnetic labyrinth, and she was the lab rat relying on instinct to get through it.

She approached the next corner and again stopped to listen. Her heart leapt when she heard voices coming towards her. Damia had a sudden moment of panic as she scrambled for a place to hide. She saw a door. She turned the knob. Unlocked.

The door made a quiet _click_ just as Sabretooth rounded the corner, Senator Kelly in tow. Damia held her breath as they walked by her hiding place. _Please, please, please, don't let him notice anything._ The footsteps faded away down the hall and Damia let out her breath with immense relief.

Opening the door a crack she peered out. No one was in her line of vision so she slipped out of the door and quietly closed it behind her. Damia looked from the hall she was about to take to the one that Sabretooth had just taken Kelly down. Maybe if she followed them she'd find the prisoner compound.

Silently she followed the fading sounds of Sabretooth and the Senator. Keeping a respectable distance she slid stealthily down the halls, occasionally hiding in an unlocked room. Finally they came to a doorway which led into a large room. The room had a metal walkway which ended at the foot of a large metal machine. Damia gazed at it and decided it looked like a gyro, there was a platform with two poles rising from it and there were two round things that looked like they would spin around the platform.

She could see Magneto's cape he talked to the Senator but she couldn't make out what they were saying. Damia cautiously slid closer to the door so she could hear them.

"Doesn't work on mutants," Magneto was saying. "We'll see what you think about Mutant Registration... brother." A small smile played across his lips as he spoke.

Damia watched as he was brought to the top of the gyro look-alike. He placed his hands on either one of the metal poles and the round things began to spin. As they picked up speed a sickly blue light spread from it, engulfing Senator Kelly who was kneeling before it.

Soon the blue light was pulled back and the spinners slowed. Mystique stepped out of the shadows and helped Magneto pulls his hands from the metal. He looked exhausted from the use of his abilities. All the pieces of the puzzle came together for Damia. _Holy shit! They're going to use that thing on the world leaders when they have their conference and he's going to use Rogue to make it work. I've got to get her outta here! _Damia slipped back into an unlocked closet as Sabretooth led the Senator away and Mystique supported Magneto.

Once they were gone she was following Sabretooth again, praying his nose didn't pick up on her scent again.

After about five minutes the sound of metal slamming against metal came to Damia's ears. There werecries of protests from the Senator as footsteps doubled back towards Damia. She once again tried the nearest door but it was locked. Panic began to fill her as the footsteps grew nearer. She could almost feel the furry hand that would grip her throat if she were caught.

He hand wrapped around the next door knob. It turned. The door popped open and Damia dived inside. She found herself in a linen closet. Sheets, towels, and blankets were piled around her and a foul, moldy smell came from one of the corners. Damia dropped to the floor and tucked herself under the bottom shelf, it was a tight fit and she was having trouble breathing. A blanket lay on the floor and Damia was quick to hide herself with it.

The door knob turned again, slowly light flooded the room and Sabretooth was silhouetted in the doorframe. Damia held her breath as he observed the room and sniffed the air. He grimaced at the moldy smell and slammed the door shut.

With relief Damia let her breath out, silently vowing never to say a bad thing about mildew again. She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder as she slipped out of the closet and back towards the holding cells. Senator Kelly jumped when he saw her.

"Oh! Thank God you're here," he said. "Aren't you a little young to be a federal agent?" Damia hushed him as she approached his cell.

"I'm 18. And I'm not a fed, I'm a mutant," she said quietly but she regretted it.

"What," shouted Kelly a little too loudly, Damia had to hush him again.

"I'm with the X-men," she whispered. "I'm here to spring one of my friends. I had no idea you'd be here as well."

Senator Kelly watched inshock as Damia walked away and checked the other cells. The last one had a lump on the bed and she couldn't help but smile.

"Rogue," She whispered loudly. "Rogue!"

The lump on the bed rolled over to reveal a familiar face and red hair. "Damia! Are you gonna bust me out?"

Damia laughed quietly and said, "Of course." She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a cherry bomb. Placing it in the lock she pulled out a lighter. "Stand back," she said as she lit itand took cover. A loud _BANG_ filled the room as the small explosive blew apart the lock. "Let's go!" Damia grabbed Rogue's hand and pulled her towards the exit. "Sorry, Senator. I'll send more X-men when we get back to the mansion," she said as she passed his cell.

Damia and Rogue ran down halls, turning this way and that. Occasionally they heard footsteps down a hall but they managed to avoid any encounters with the Brotherhood. They stopped in the middle of a hall, there were threecorridors they could choose from.

"Which way," asked Rogue as she tried to catch her breath.

Damia looked from one hall to the next, biting her lip. She sniffed the air in each direction, trying to get a feel for which one smelled most like fresh air. Finally she decided on the one to the right.

"This way!" The two of them set off again.

They had only been running for a few minutes when a noise came from ahead. They both skidded to a halt and Damia drew her sword. A large man stepped into view from an adjacent hallway. His black eyes turned to the two girls.

Damia handed her black bag to Rogue while she got ready for the attack. Sabretooth growled, revealing his fangs. He was lunging for her before she could even blink.

By some miracle Damia had ducked out of the reach of his claws. This only made him even more angry. He snarled and took another swipe which she avoided by a hair. Damia swung her sword but it was his turn to dodge. This is when she realized it was hopeless.

"Rogue," she said as Sabretooth lunged and she dodged again. "Fire!"

Damia prayed her friend understood her as Sabretooth advanced again. This time he jumped at her. Damia dropped to the ground, pressing her back to the floor. She raised her sword as the beast flew over her. She rolled to the left to avoid his claws and his body weight.

As she scambled to her feet so did her foe. Damia noticed that his shirt was ripped and a small trail of blood could be seen.

Sabretooth growled and gave her a death glare. Damia's eyes widened at the pure hatred and malice in his black eyes, much unlike his comrade's. He lunged for her again but she was rooted to the spot. His arm was getting ready to strike her. Damia was still rooted to the spot. Time seemed to slow down as his body hurtled toward her and she became aware of presence.

Without looking she managed to influence the small flame from the lighter which Rogue held in her shaking hands. The flame suddenly erupted, blackening the ceiling and causing Rogue to drop the lighter. It flew out like a wall and collided with the hairy body of Sabretooth. His claws had been mere inches from Damia's face and as the fire consumed him, his well aimedslash was knocked off course, leaving Damia unscratched.

With an ear piercing howl he landed on the ground, his bushy eyebrows were singed off and his skin was covered in burns. He feebly tried to get up but his burns made him wince in pain.

"Come on," Damia said as she turned to Rogue. "Let's-" but she never finished her sentence.

Mystique stood behind Rogue with one hand on her shoulder. Her yellow eyes watched Damia as she stared at the scene. With a sigh she dropped her sword on the floor and put her hands above her head in defeat. A smile played across the blue woman's lips.

Before long Damia was sitting in Magneto's familiar office. Mystique stood behind her and Sabretooth sat in a corner, his healing ablities going to work on his burns. Magneto sat across the metal desk from her, still looking worn out.

"Welcome back, young Damia." His proud voice seemed lessened somehow. "You showed an excellent use of your powers. Are you sure you don't want to join us?"

Damia sighed, exasperated. "No. I'd rather not, thanks."

Magneto shook his head gravely. "What a shame," he said as he made a hand movement. Damia heard Sabretooth get up and the door opened and closed behind her. "Do you realize that we have ways of... persuading people to do things?"

Damia rolled her eyes. "I really don't care. I'd just like to escape again so I can leave, come back, get Rogue, and put an end to your little plan."

Magneto's eyes hardened. "Ah, yes. Your escape. You didn't do it alone, did you?"

"No," said Damia matter-of-factly. "I had help from Santa Claus," she finished sarcastically.

"And I suppose a little birdie told you aboutmy plans," said Magneto coldly.

"Oh, you know him? Charming little bird isn't he?" Damia had to stifle a laugh when she saw the look on Magneto's face.

The door opened again and Damia heard two people enter. She knew at once one of them had to be Mortimer. Magneto smiled maliciously.

"Now, let's put our persuasive powers to use," said the graying man as Toad and Sabretooth came into Damia's line of vision. "Sabretooth," he said with a nod.

Damia's eyes widened as the cat-man looked at her and his lips curled in an ugly smile. He turned back to the little green man and picked him up, throwing him against the wall. When Toad hit the ground, Sabretooth picked him up again but instead of throwing him he punched him. Bloodyran from the victim's mouth.

"Stop," Damia said forcefully as she tried to turn away from the scene. "Stop it!"

Two hands clamped down on her shoulders and forced her to watch as Sabretooth massacred the little green man. He was about to pull back and plant another punch in the stomach when Magneto interrupted.

"That's quite enough, Sabretooth," he said calmly and Damia knew he was smiling. "What was it you were saying about not caring about our persuasiveness? I do believe you have feelings for this pathetic life form." Damia's eyes didn't leave the bloody heap on the floor. "There's no point in trying to hide it, I can see it in your eyes."

"How could you," asked Damia, her hazel eyes burned with tears as she turned to Magneto.

He laughed. "Toad has been going against my wishes. I can't have that in the Brotherhood," he said. "Besides I needed to find a way to get to you. I knew that day I punished him in your cell that he was your weakness. The way your powers soared even when you were in a physicallyweakened state." He shook his head.

"What do you want form me," asked Damia as her eyes returned to Toad who was stirring slightly.

Damia could tell that Magneto's smile broadened. "I want you to betray your little X-friends," he said briskly.

With her mouth agape she turned back to Magneto. "What!? No way in hell," she said angrily.

"No," asked Magneto, his eyebrows arching. "Sabretooth."

Again the cat-man moved to the already injured Toad. Damia winced as the first blow hit him in the stomach. She tried again to look away but Mystique's scaly blue hands were on her shoulders, forcing her to watch.

"You can make it all end," Magneto said quietly as he observed Damia. "All you have to do is agree." When Damia didn't respond he nodded to Sabretooth who continued the assault.

With extraordinary speed Sabretooth was beating Mortimer to a bloody pulp. He had managed to keep his pain in but when Sabretooth's clause tore across his chest he let out a cry of agony. Damia couldn't help but cry out as well, the assault on Toad was taking its toll on her as well.

"Stop!" Her voice echoed through the room. "Please," she begged. "I'll do it, just... just stop."

Magneto snapped his fingers and the beating ceased. "Very well. You are to return the mansion and act as if nothing happened. The next time you and the X-men decide to fight us, you are not to attack the Brotherhood but your precious friends. If you don't... well, let's just say harm will find dear Mr.Toynbee." Magneto stood and began to leave the room, Mystique and Sabretooth following. "Really, I thought you'd be stronger than that... or at least have better taste in men."

The door closed leaving Damia alone with the battered Mortimer. She hurried to his side and dropped to her knees. Blood was oozing from cuts of various sizes while bruises were quickly forming on his greenish skin. The wounds on his chest weren't as deep as they looked but they still bled pretty badly.

"I'm sorry," Damia whispered as tears flowed freely from her eyes. She took his bloody face in her hands and looked into his dark eyes. "I'm so sorry." She began to sob silently while mentally scolding herslef.

One of Mortimer's hands found hers and he pressed her pale skin against his own. "Don't worry about it, love," he managed to say through the amount of blood in his mouth, his accent distorted slightly. He brushed her tears away and said, "It was better than a slap in the face with a wet kipper."

Damia smiled despite herself and the situation. She knew she had to break her promise to the Professor and have to attack her friends when they needed her but those thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind for the time being. She was with Mortimer and he was still alive. That was all that mattered to herat the moment.


	13. Back At the Mansion

A/N: Gah! I'm such an idiot! I kinda screwed up my plot somehow. Oh well. I can work around that.... I hope...

* * *

Toad was barely conscious, his eyes were unfocused but he still managed to speak through the blood and saliva in his mouth.

"Damia," he said. "You don't have to turn on your mates." He turned his head away and spat the blood out. "Magneto's an old fart, he won't know the bloody difference."

Damia shook her head at him. "You're delirious. I'm bringing you back to the mansion to get you patched up."

"I don't need a bloody doctor," Mort snapped groggily. "I'll be fine, quick healer."

"Mortimer, I-" Damia was cut off when the door opened and Mystique walked in.

Her yellow eyes stared at Damia as she said, "You're going to spend the night here. Now, let's go."

Reluctantly Damia stood and let go of Mortimer's hand. At the door she looked back again and she felt a tear slide down here cheek. Brushing it away, Damia followed Mystique.

The night she spent in the holding cell seemed to last forever. Damia had cried herself to sleep, something she rarely did. She had cried for Mortimer, for Professor X, for herself, for the widow who took her in. The tears just kept rolling and there was no stopping them until she hadshed the last of them and fell asleep.

The morning came and Damia was on auto-pilot. The whole helicopter ride to the marina was a blur, as was her drive back to the Xavier Institute. She snapped out of her daze when the wrought iron gates swung open and she drove up the gravel driveway.

"Where were you," asked Logan the moment Damia stepped through the door.

"I was trying to spring Rogue," Damia said as she dropped her bag of equipment on the tile floor and headed to her room.

Logan stepped in front of her. "That was a very stupid thing to do, kid."

"It was also a thing _you_ would do," Damia said quietly.

"You're not goin' anywhere until you tell me exactly what happened," he said threateningly.

With a sigh Damia told him everything, omitting the parts about her and Toad. "He said that if I didn't betray you guys in our next battle then he'd find a way to get back at me," she finished. Logan only nodded solemnly. "How's the Professor," Damia asked.

"Same as when you left," Logan mumbled before leaving her in the hall.

Before she went to her room to take off her X-suit Damia stopped by the infirmary. She pushed the doors open and walked into the sterile smelling room. She made her way to the Professor's bed. He was still in a coma and in the same position as when Damia left.

"I'm sorry, Professor," she said quietly. "I let my feelings get in the way and now Rogue is still there. The world leaders are meeting tonight and Magneto's going to put his plan into action."

"We'll stop him," came a calm voice from behind her. Damia jumped and whirled around to find Jean Gray standing there with a wan smile. "Don't worry, Damia. The Professor will understand your situation when he wakes up." Damia could only nod in response as she looked back to the Professor. "Scott, Logan, Ororo, you, and I are all going to take a little trip to Liberty Island tonight.," Jean said suddenly.

Damia looked up so fast she could have gotten whip-lash. "We are? But how did you find out about Magneto's plans?"

Jean led Damia to another bed in the sick bay and Damia couldn't suppress the gasp. Before her lay Senator Kelly, he was sweating profusely and looked very ill. Jean read Damia's thoughts and answered her question. "He came to us last night and told us Magneto's plan. The machine you saw turns regular humans into mutants, the Senator was his guinea pig."

Damia shook her head and uttered, "That's horrible. I had no idea what he was doing with that thing."

Jean nodded gravely. "That's why we've got to get to Liberty Island tonight. We have to stop him from turning the world leaders into mutants and we have to save Rogue."

* * *

Hmm... what could Damia have been about to say when Mystique walked in?

Okay so this chapter blows monkey chunks but you know what? The end is coming closer. Can't you taste it!? Mmm... Toad. CHOCOLATE! I meant chocolate!!!


	14. Lost

A/N: Holy crap on a crusty cracker! I think I made the honor roll, my lowest grade was a B- in history. Go me! Go me! On second thought... its kinda hard not to ace the classes I take. I mean, seriously. Photo, drama, American lit, sculpture, studio art 2, and history. How can I fail?

This chapter goes from Damia's point of view to Toad's and back and forth between them a few times so... keep an eye out for that.

* * *

The six foot replica of the Statue of Liberty, for some reason, made Damia shiver as she passed by it. Everything was eerily quiet and she couldn't help but feel slightly nervous as she walked with Logan, Jean, Scott, and Ororo. They all kept their guard up as they headed for the torch, where Rogue was being held captive by Magneto and Sabretooth. 

Out of nowhere the group was attacked by a blue woman. Mystique was quick to hit and run. In his fury, Logan went after her.

"Great," Damia said sarcastically.

Scott turned to her and said, "Damia, go ahead and scout. But don't go too far."

With a nod Damia ran ahead. Everything was still silent and she couldn't help but feel a little worried. She cautiously walked along, her hand at the flask and lighter she kept on her belt. If she needed her powers it would be a matter of spilling some water or flicking her lighter on. Damia nearly jumped out of her skin when someone called her name from behind.

She spun around to see an injured Logan standing in front of her, grasping his bleeding side.

"Logan?" She stepped forward. "What the hell happened?"

Logan staggered forward. "Mystique, she got me pretty good." He almost fell and Damia jumped forward to catch him.

She sagged under his weight as she said, "Where is she now?"

But there was no answer, just a horrible pain in the back of her head. Damia hit the floor unconscious. Logan stood up straight, his eyes flashed yellow as he dropped a miniature souvenir of the Statue. He walked off to find the others.

Toad jumped up and clung to the ceiling, laughing wildly to himself. _I wish I had a camera for the reaction of the bloody git when I slimed her. _The corners of his lips turned up in a smile while his fingertips excreted a small amount of sticky substance. His black eyes scanned the room, Ororo had been right behind him a moment ago and he would have to fight her soon.

Suddenly, he froze. Toad's eyes rested on a figure sprawled on the floor. He hopped down to the floor and slowly walked over to her. Squatting down he could see the light reflect in her golden brown hair. She didn't look like she was alive. With a trembling hand he took her wrist and felt for a pulse, his own heart beating faster than normal.

She was alive. He let out a sigh of relief and gently rolled Damia onto her back. He couldn't believe how peaceful she looked, not to mention how beautiful. One of his green, clammy hands ran gently across her pale skin, brushing away a stand of hair. For a brief moment he wondered what his life would be like if she were dead but he quickly shook that idea out of his head.

"Get away from her," shouted someone from behind.

Toad, taken by surprise, leapt to the ceiling again. Below him Ororo the Weatherwitch was glaring up at him. _She's a raving loony if she thinks I did that to Damia._ Ororo kept her eyes on Toad as she made her way to Damia's unconscious body and felt for a pulse. Satisfied, she stood up. Toad knew she was ready for a fight.

Toad forced Ororo into physical combat to keep her from using her powers on him. He was mainly the one throwing the punches while Ororo blocked and dodged. Finally he jumped into the air and with a spinning kick, knocked her down an elevator shaft.

Now that he wasn't fighting he hurried over to Damia, wishing she could heal as fast as he could. He began to gather her up in his arms, unsure of where he was going to bring her. There was a loud _ping!_ from the elevator and Toad looked over his shoulder.

The doors flew open and an angry looking Storm floated out, her white hair crackling with electricity. Toad's eyes narrowed and he set Damia down, ready for another fight with the Weatherwitch.

Despite the fact that Toad was physically ready for the fight, his mind was elsewhere. During the battle he kept looking to the body on the floor, this was a big mistake. Ororo got a few good hits in and before he knew what was going on, his tongue was the only thing keeping him from flying away in the wild wind.

Pain throbbed through Damia'shead as she came to. As she opened her eyes, her ears were filled with the familiar voice of Ororo.

"Do you know what happens to a Toad when he struck by lightning," she asked in such a tone that it sent chills down Damia's spine.

Suddenly the scene became clear to her. Mortimer was flapping in the wind while his long tongue held him to the rail of the balcony. Outside, the sky was black with storm clouds and Damia could hear the rumbling of thunder. _Oh God, No!_

Time slowed down as Damia scrambled to her feet. Her short legs carried her across the tile floor as fast as they could. Thunder rumbled loudly. And Ororo's voice could be heard.

"The same thing that happens to everything else," she said, finishing her little riddle just as Damia had reached the railing.

The white bolt of electricity was coming down fast. Damia had just wretched Toad's tongue free and he flew into the roaring winds. The intended target of the hundreds of thousands of volts of electricity was gone, but there was someplace nearby for it go.

The intense heat and pain that was brought to Damia's body was unlike any she had ever felt before. The horrible sensation was soon gone as blackness engulfed her.

After that there was only a flash of something. A green face and green-brown hair hovered above her,tears streaking down the cheeks from the black eyes. There was a voice to go with the face and hair.

"Please," it said to her from a great distance but she could still hear the accent in the croaking voice. "Please, don't be dead. I'll go straight, I swear on my life. No more crime." The voice and face were fading as the blackness took over again. "Just please wake up, Damia. I lo-" It was gone.

The whole world was lost to the darkness.

* * *

Okay I think this is a good place to end the story. NOT! I know I said this would be the last but I lied. I can't just leave it here... so many unanswered questions to be... answered.

Oh! Just got a review alert. Thank you Whisky Lullaby!!! You're awesome. And yes we will take over the world... er... uh... make lots and lots of furry hats for people. Yeah, that's it! Furry hats!


	15. The Demeter

A/N: Okay this is truly the last chapter of the story. Sad isn't it?

* * *

Her body was warm and cozy and Damia felt oddly at peace, without a care in the world. _I must be dead...this quite nice. I think I'll just relax. _Damia didn't open her eyes in fear that if she did, the world would come crashing back to her and she'd be filled with the mundane worries and pains which it would bring. As she lay there she became aware of a voice, it seemed to be in the distance but it grew closer.

"I just gave her a reading," the voice said. It seemed familiar somehow but Damia couldn't place it. "It seems as though ever since she was a child her powers would take over in extreme emotional stress. I believe that's what happened at Liberty Island."

_Liberty Island..._ it all came back to her. The pain, the bright flash of light, the worry, they all came flooding back to her. One thing stood out in her mind, more so than the pain. It was a face, filled with tears of concern and worry. She still didn't open her eyes but she kept listening to the familiar voice.

"From what I can gather, she saw what was about to happen and she prevented it," the speaker continued. "Even after she freed him from the rail and was struck by the lightning her powers still operated accordingly with her subconscious."

She remembered the rumble of thunder and the flash before the pain, there was a figure clinging to a rail. That was all she could remember for the moment so Damia returned her attention to the voice.

"That is why the ground shot up to absorb most of the electric shock." Damia still struggled to place the calm voice. "It also explains why the wind carried Mr. Toynbee safely to the ground."

Suddenly it hit her. Mortimer had been using his tongue to hang onto the railing while Ororo tried to kill him. Damia could remember scrambling to the rail and forcing him to let go as a bolt of lightning reached out for them. That was when the pain hit her and when her memory blanked out, with the exception of a teary green face.

She opened her eyes slightly but closed them again when the bright white light stung her eyes.

"So that's what happened," said Damia groggily as she attempted to open her eyes again. "I thought I was dead."

There were several people around her hospital bed. She recognized Scott, Jean, Ororo, Logan, Rogue, Bobby, and the Professor. They were all looking down at her with expressions of shock and relief.

"So did we," said Bobby with a smile.

"Yeah," murmured Rogue. "You gave us a real scare."

Logan grunted and said, "It'll take more than a little lightning to kill this one off. You're tough as a rock, kid."

Damia smiled slightly as them all and Professor Xavier said, "Welcome back, Damia."

"Thanks, Prof." Damia sat up slightly and winced at the sudden pain.

Ororo looked very worried and shifted slightly before she spoke. "I'm so sorry, Damia. I tried to stop it but by the time I realized you were there it was too late and-" she stopped when Damia raised her hand.

"It's alright Storm. You're not the idiot who ran out there to get struck," everyone chuckled a little at Damia's comment. Storm hugged her before she turned to leave. "So, what's the diagnosis, Doc," Damia asked as she turned to Jean.

With a sigh Jean picked up a clipboard and began to shuffle through some papers. "Well, you've got some pretty bad burns but I think you'll be okay." She smiled at Damia. "It's good to have you back."

Damia laughed. "Well I'd say its good to be back but I kind of liked the numbness." Again everyone chuckled at her joke.

After awhile everyone filed out of the room, leaving Damia alone with the Professor. He adjusted the position of his wheelchair so he was looked directly at Damia. She smiled at the little bald man and he smiled back.

"That was very brave of you, Damia," he said after a minute of silence.

She snorted. "Brave or stupid?"

The Professor laughed slightly and said, "Maybe a little of both."

After a little laughter from them both Damia asked, "So, what happened after I passed out?"

"Well, Logan, Ororo, Jean, and Scott all went on to the torch and saved Rogue. Originally they were going to bring you back here to the mansion but they were persuaded otherwise. A certain young, green man brought you back to the X-jet and waited with you until the rest returned with Rogue." The Professor paused before continuing. "From what I hear he was quite upset and feared the worst."

Damia nodded, the last thing she remembered was his voice begging her to live and his tear stained face hovering above her. The Professor read her mind and said, "That's the exact impression I got from him when he carried you in."

There was a moment of silence before Damia spoke again. "Where is he now," she asked while hoping it sounded offhanded.

"Mr. Toynbee hadn't left your side for the three days you were out. I had sent him to his room to sleep just before you woke up. He was most reluctant to go," Professor Xavier said with amusement.

"Does he..." Damia stopped herself from asking the question she had been dying to know the answer to since the moment she met the green man.

The Professor didn't need her to finish her sentence, he knew Damia wanted know about Mortimer's feelings.

"I may have accidentally stumbled across that portion of his mind," he said coolly. "But it wouldn't be very ethical to tell you what I've found." Damia's jaw dropped Charles Xavier continued before she could protest. "I do, however, highly encourage you to talk to him."

The bald man winked as he rolled out of the infirmary. Damia watched the doors which were still swinging slightly from his exit. _Did he really just imply that Mortimer..._ Damia's thoughts trailed off and she lay back down in her bed.

It was about a half an hour after Damia had awoken that the doors swung open again. She looked up from her book and smiled.

"Hi, Mort," she said cheerily to the short man in front of her.

"Damia," he said in disbelief. "How are you feeling?" He sat down next to her bed.

"I'm alive. The pain killers Jean's been feeding me help a lot, too." She looked into the black eyes of the man she loved. _How the hell am I going to tell him?_ He looked down at his greenish colored hands.

"Look, I... I just wanted to thank you for saving my arse and all," he said suddenly. "I'm leaving for London on Saturday, that's in three days in case you didn't know."

Damia could feel her heart tear at his words. He was leaving and she'd never see him again.

"Oh," she said quietly. "Well, watch out for lightning bolts and all."

Toad's lips curled into a slight smile at her words. "Yeah," he said. "We'll best of best of British to you and all." He got up from his chair.

"Yeah, same to you," Damia said as she watched him stand there awkwardly.

He stuck out his hand and Damia shook it, savoring the moment. He pulled away and stuck his hand in his pocket.

"See ya around," he said before turning and leaving the room.

Tears brimmed in Damia's eyes as the doors closed behind him. "Yeah," she whispered. "See you around."

The days rolled by slowly and Damia couldn't help but feel depressed. All of her friends figured her strange behavior was due to her being pent up in the mansion's hospital. They finally let her get up and move around, although with a little pain thanks to her burns.

The sun was shining brightly in the clear, blue sky. It was a beautiful Saturday and Damia sat on a bench in her garden, staring blankly at a rose. The blood red petals mesmerized her as the flower swayed slightly in the warm breeze. Damia sighed, knowing what today meant and she sank further into her depression.

"Sitting there won't help matters," came a voice from behind her.

Damia looked up and saw the Professor rolling down the gravel walkway. He stopped beside her bench.

Looking at the rose in front of her he said, "I don't see why such a beautiful flower should suffer so much."

Damia slowly turned her hazel eyes from the rose to the Professor. "He doesn't love me. He's leaving for London today," she said sadly before turning back to the flower.

Charles Xavier's eyes didn't move from the young girl in front of him. "Everyone loves a rose, especially little green men." He sighed and said, "Damia the only reason why he's going to London is because he doesn't think you return his feelings."

"What!?" Damia leapt off the bench. "Professor I need you to-"

Xavier cut her off by raising his hand. "I already checked Cerebro. He's at the marina, looking for a boat to stowaway on."

Damia hugged the bald man in front of her. "Thank you, Professor," she said before running out of the garden.

"You better hurry," called the older man. He smiled as he watched the girl hurry off.

The car skid to a stop in one of the parking spots and Damia dashed off for the docks. Boats passed by on either side of her as her feet thudded loudly on the wooden planks. _He has to be here somewhere!_ There were people all around and a few of them came close to falling in the water as Damia pushed passed them.

She reached the end of the dock and doubled over, catching her breath. Looking frantically around her she tried to find him. There was no one with his stature or gait and she grumbled in anger.

Damia turned to face the never ending sea. She was too late and Mortimer Toynbee had departed already. She was about to turn around and go back to the mansion when something caught her eye.

There was a small boat chugging out of the harbor. _Demeter_ was scrawled on the side and Damia couldn't help but smile slightly. She recalled a time when the widow she lived with told her about the Greek goddess of nature, Demeter. That was where Damia's named came from. She gazed at the boat as it moved slowly towards the horizon, _Demeter_, it was almost as if it were calling to her.

At that moment Damia saw something very peculiar on the deck of the small ship. She rubbed her eyes and wondered why she would think she saw a green man. Men weren't green. _But Mortimer Tonybee's are!_

With the sudden realization Damia began to jump up and down, calling his name. There was no reaction from the figure on the boat. Damia grumbled and thought, _Fine! Don't respond. But you better get ready because I'm coming out there._

Damia could feel her hair bristle slightly as she concentrated on the water. It shot up in front the Demeter and blocked the boat's path. The breeze picked up and swept Damia off the dock. Gasps and shouts faded in the distance as she was carried over the water.

The wind died down and set her down on the deck of the boat while the water wall dropped back into the ocean. The sailors stared at her as she landed, none of them spoke.

"Hi," she said trying to sound cheerful and friendly. "I'm looking for a friend of mine. I think I saw him on this boat. Have you seen him?" They still all stared at her. "Uh... he's green?"

They all turned and looked towards the stern of the boat. Damia turned that way too and saw someone step out of a hiding spot.

"Thanks. You're all bloody wonderful mates," came an angry British accent and Damia felt her heart lift.

"Mort I need to talk to you," she said stepping toward him.

He went to the rail and leaned on it, looking down at the lapping water. "About what," he asked, trying to sound offhanded.

"Mort, I..." Damia paused for a moment while she looked at the green man. His black eyes weren't looking at her. For a brief second she thought of giving up and going home but the thought faded when she tried to imagine living without him. "I didn't get a chance to tell you this before you left the mansion and I understand if you still want to go back to London but I couldn't leave without telling you." Damia looked down at her ring and she took a deep breath. "Mort, I love you."

The two of them just stood there for a few minutes, Damia looking at Mortimer, Mortimer looking at the ocean. It seemed like an hour passed and he still hadn't said anything. "Right," Damia whispered. "Well I'm going to go and make an ass of myself somewhere else." She turned and started to walk away while conjuring a wind to take her back to the mainland.

"Damia," came a thick accent from behind her. She turned to face Mortimer. "I... I..." he stammered before muttering, "Bloody hell this is hard to say." His black eyes looked peered into hers, and he remembered how he felt when he thought she was dead. That had been the first time he cried since he was a child. "Damia, I love you," he said, his words rushing out and tumbling over each other.

Damia could only stand there trying to process what he had just said. Slowly it sank in and she smiled. Flinging her arms around his neck she hugged him tightly, relishing the feeling of his arms around her waist and holding her close. She breathed in the earthy scent that clung to him and her smile widened.

She pulled away from the embrace and looked into his eyes, their faces were only inches apart. Damia leaned in, closing the gap, and her cherry lips brushed against his. Mortimer returned the kiss with passion and love, making Damia's senses reel and her emotions soar.

When they finally pulled away from the kiss the wind was supporting them as they hovered above the boat and ocean. Mortimer tensed and edged closer to Damia as he looked down at the water below them. Damia laughed and slipped her hand into his, Mort's clammy skin making her smile as the wind brought them lazily back to the mainland.

"So," asked Mort as they reached the car. "Where do we go from here?"

Damia shrugged. "Wherever we want," she said squeezing his hand slightly.

They got in the car and drove off. The cares of the world had been lifted from their shoulders now that they were finally together. Where they went, is an entirely different story.

* * *

Okay, sucky ending. Bad, me! Bad! Really sorry about all the mushy crap. I had such a hard time writing that. The whole time I was thinking, "My god, What am I doing? I'm butchering Toad's personality!!!"

To make up for the poor excuse of an ending... FREE TOAD PLUSHIES FOR ALL except me who gets the real one. If only, right?


	16. Epilogue

The fresh scent of roses drifted to her nose and she smiled, leaning back into the wicker chair and admiring her work. The flowers in the garden were in full bloom and only within minutes of being planted. Above her the blue sky and warm sun smiled down on the small cottage which was hidden in a large clearing in the woods, hidden from the human world. She reached down and gently stroked the head of the massive dog at her feet. The Great Dane's tail wagged as he rested his head on her lap.

"Damia," a voice called. "We're out of sugar again."

A smile played across her cherry lips and she brushed her golden brown locks from her face. "Well if you weren't addicted to tea then maybe we'd still have some," she joked as a man with a green hue to his skin and hair walked down the gravel path.

"Will you run to the store and get some," he asked. After living together for the past year and a half, Mortimer Toynbee had gotten used to asking his wife for things. It had taken time for him to adjust to someone doing things for him, the same could be said about Damia.

"Why don't we just ask our neighbors for some," Damia nodded in the direction of the X-mansion which was situated about a mile away. "It'll be a nice stroll through the woods." Her husband looked somewhat uncomfortable at the idea. "Alright, I'll go to the store." Damia knew her husband didn't like going to the mansion where his former enemies resided and he hated going into town even more.

He and the dog followed her into the cottage where she checked the cabinets for anything else she might need to get. He watched her with his black eyes as she grabbed the keys.

"I'll be back," she said before turning for the door.

She had just opened the door and was about to step out when two hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her back. Damia laughed and rested her head against the body behind her while she entwined her fingers with the green ones around her mid-section.

"Don't I get a kiss," whispered a heavily accented voice in her ear.

Tilting her head back she looked up at the mischievously smiling face. As always, her heart skipped a beat when their lips met. It was like heaven for her but she pulled back quickly while laughing.

"What," Mortimer asked with mock innocence as his wife narrowed her eyes at him.

Damia said, "Mort, I know you well enough to know that when you slip me the tongue you want to hit the sack."

His grin widened as he pulled her closer. "The bloody tea can wait," he said as he effortlessly scooped her up into his arms. His clammy, green tinted skin tingled where Damia's pale flesh touched him. It was a sensation he never tired of.

As the bedroom door closed the Great Dane whined and plopped down on the floor. It would be a few more hours before he got fed.

* * *

Okay, I hope you're satisfied. I know I'm not the only one who has wondered what a french kiss from Mortimer would be like. Ah! I'm drooling again!! 

Oh dear. The plot bunnies are back and they're hungry for a sequel. Ooooh yeah! I've already got the end of that worked out. You'll all have to wait until I can work the rest of it out. MWHAHAHAHA!!!!


End file.
